


Breaking Boundaries

by Aini



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Fix It Fic, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-21
Updated: 2018-03-17
Packaged: 2018-07-25 23:59:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 48,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7552249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aini/pseuds/Aini
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One must push the boundaries if they are to become better.</p><p>Tup survives the removal of his inhibitor chip and together with Fives, they escape Chancellor Palpatine's clutches to share what they've learned. New stories unfold as more information on the bio-chips is discovered and shared for the good of the Jedi Order. But will it be enough?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Escape

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After watching Tup and Fives' arc in the last season of the Clone Wars, I really didn't like how it turned out (though it had to happen to make canon work, I know). So this initially started out as a drabble to 'fix it'. I really didn't expect it to turn into more, but it has. I hope you'll all enjoy the story as it goes!
> 
> EDIT (Sept. 4th): I now have a beta! The wonderful Olorisstra (jhaernyl on tumblr) has gone over my story for me and has helped me make some parts better. GO FOLLOW HER! She is a freaking genius~
> 
> Hope to have the next chapter up soon!
> 
>  
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or anything related to it. I make no money off of this fiction. I'm simply writing it and sharing it because I enjoy it.

"Get down!"

Fives pushed Tup to the floor and covered him as blaster fire soared over their heads. Neither wasted time in getting back up and running around the corner of the hallway once it had passed. They needed to get out and get out _now_.

He'd thought the situation was bad before. When they'd brought both Tup and himself before the Chancellor, he'd thought they had a chance. That he was going to get to save his brothers from the nightmare. Tup had only barely survived his own ordeal after all. But then, in a move that had shocked them both, he'd order his guards to attack them, to shoot to kill.

Which meant he was part of the plot.

Now they were running for their lives from the Coruscant Guard and Master Shaak Ti. It couldn’t get worse than this, could it?

“To your left!”

Fives just barely managed to dodge a shot aimed at him, probably towards the upper left of his back, at Tup's shout, slamming himself against the wall. Another shot was fired and he heard Tup cry out. There wasn't time to check his brother's status. Without a word, Fives grabbed his arm, slung it over his shoulder, and continued to move forward.

They had to get out. He'd been in stickier situations than this. He could do this. He could get them both out. With one last burst of speed, he made it to the lift doors, pressing all the right buttons, before running past them.

“Fives, what are-”

“Not now, Tup.”

Fives turned behind a corner, sucking in a sharp breath as he waited and listened. Tup was just as quiet at his side, though his face was twisted in a painful grimace. As the guards rounded the corner, they shouted at the closing lift doors. Shaak Ti's quiet, yet firm voice called for the lower floors to be on alert, to await the lift at the bottom as the second lift chimed, signaling its doors were opening. Sure they were distracted, Fives nodded to Tup and moved them to the service stairway entrance. Perhaps it was an obvious escape tactic, but he would never question it again if they got out of this alive.

As they entered the stairway and the door closed quietly behind them, Fives pressed the both of them up against the wall. He held a finger to his mouth when Tup looked about ready to question him. Seconds after, Shaak Ti could be heard racing past the door, her familiar footsteps not even pausing slightly in front of the door in her search. The threat gone, Fives nodded to Tup and the two quickly and quietly made their way down the stairs, though it wasn't easy with Tup's injury. He hoped the exit door would lead them right outside of the building.

Luck was on their side and one of the doors at the bottom of the stairway led to the open air of the upper levels. They couldn't stay here. It was too obvious, even if they could try to blend in with any of the other clones that might come their way. He also had an injured brother at his side, something the guards would be looking for. Keeping his ears open to any unwanted sounds, Fives maneuvered them behind a few nearby crates, setting him down on the ground as slowly and as gently as he could. They really didn't have a lot of time, but he had to check on Tup.

“Hey, you okay?” Fives asked, looking around them to make sure they were alone as possible before checking on Tup's wound.

“They got my leg,” Tup replied, wincing as he touched the wound. It was a clear scorch mark, but it didn't look deep. Not that he could tell anyway. “I can't move quickly like this."

“You really don't have much of a choice.” Fives turned his head at a noise. Nothing was immediately visible, but he still pulled his brother onto his feet. “Gotta keep moving.”

Tup didn't have much of a chance to argue as he limped at Fives' side, letting Fives lead the way. “Where do we go? Someone will notice us for sure if we keep wandering.”

Fives kept his eyes forward, his focus as sharp as it always was when a mission hit a snag. “We'll go to 79's.”

“The cantina?”

“Yeah.”

“But...is that a good idea?”

Fives frowned, his expression turning grim. Shortly after, he let out a soft sigh. “It's the only one I've got.”

They found a taxi, Tup's wound and the distance to 79's justifying the risk it represented. The driver a chatty fellow who, thankfully, didn't ask too many questions. Tup made his way to the side of the bar while Fives went inside, though both were hesitant to separate. Still, it wouldn't be good to have an injured clone walk into the bar and Tup was sure that Fives could accomplish whatever plans he had better on his own. Once inside, Fives 'borrowed' a hat from the nearby wardrobe and looked around the bar, hoping to see someone who could help them, who would be _willing_ to help them. Word about them had to have been spread to their fellow clones, at least.

A familiar head caught his attention and Fives slowly followed Kix into the bathroom. It was a short conversation. He didn't want to leave Tup alone for long. Once he was sure that Kix was going to help them out, he gave the other clone the coordinates he'd need to pass on.

“I'm counting on you,” Fives said softly, his eyes darting to the door of the bathroom. “We're dead if you don't help us out.”

“Don't worry. I'll make it happen, Fives,” Kix nodded, worry shining in his eyes. “I'd feel better if-”

“No, can't pull you too much into this,” the ARC trooper interrupted. “Just...get a hold of General Skywalker for me.”

“He'll be there. Him and Rex. You can count on it,” the medic replied. “Be safe. Both of you.”

“Thanks, Kix.”

“And call me when you are safe! I'll come look at Tup's wound!”

Fives couldn't stop the little smirk that the words pulled from him. Kix, being the medic that he was, could have cared less if he was telling the truth or not when a patient was on the line. He was always open to giving aid.

Fives slipped out the side door just as the Coruscant Guard walked in, closing it quietly behind him. Tup looked relieved to see him and together the two of them slipped out of sight and towards the underworld of Coruscant. They caught another cab, with a quieter driver this time, who took them down several levels before refusing to go any further.

After they paid the man and set out along the streets, they were quick to turn into the alleys when they realized they were starting to attract the wrong kind of attention. Once they'd weaved through enough of the buildings to lose anyone on their tail, Fives let Tup sit down to rest. His brother was getting worse, his movements hampered and made slower with his injury. Sweat was forming on Tup's forehead and his breathing was labored. Fives wished there was more he could do, but without painkillers or any way to alleviate his brother's pain, he knew Tup would just have to suffer through it.

Several minutes passed, with no droids or clones, making their position as safe as they could get at the moment.

Maybe the Chancellor had called off the manhunt, hoping that one of them would give away their position. Had Fives been on his own, he might have let his nerves and fear get the better of him. But with Tup here, he had to stay focused, be more alert. It wasn't just his life immediately on the line. Tup's was too, even more so than his own. He had to keep his eyes open, his head clear, if he was going to see to it that the both of them made it through this.

“It's almost time for the meet up,” Fives said, looking at his chrono. “We need to go.”

“Maybe you should...leave me,” Tup mumbled. “I'm only slowing you down. I could be a distraction, to help you get away.”

Narrowing his eyes, Fives stayed silent for a moment before he marched over to his brother, forcibly dragging him to his feet, and down the alleyway, wrapping Tup's arm around his shoulders. “Come on, Tup. We can do this.”

“I can't-”

“Don't quit on me. We just have a little further to go.”

“Fives-”

With a huff, Fives looked over at his brother. “Trust me. General Skywalker and Captain Rex will be at the meeting point. They'll help us.”

Tup grimaced at the mention of his commanding officer, limping along as Fives helped him down the dank alleyway. His leg was beginning to really bother him, but the pain he felt in his chest was worse. “But after what I've done...”

Fives brought their trek to a halt, slowly moving till he was facing the other man, hands on his shoulders and staring him dead in the eye. “It was not your fault.”

“It is my fault! I pulled-”

“It wasn't you!” Fives took a deep breath, calming himself down before they attracted any attention. “That wasn't you, Tup. You would _never_ attack a Jedi on your own. I _know_ that. Captain Rex and General Skywalker believe that too. We just need a chance to talk to them. To tell them what we found.”

Tup stared at his fellow soldier in silence, his expression full of hopelessness. “What if they don't believe that anymore? Or believe us?”

Fives shook his head. “They will. We have to believe that or we're already doomed to fail.” His stern expression melted into a half-grin as he moved back to his brother's side. “And we were not brought up to be quitters. One way or another, we will save our brothers and friends.”

With a small nod, Tup threw his arm back over the other clone's shoulders, leaning on him as they started back down the alleyway, one of Five's arms wrapped around his waist for extra support. They walked in silence for a few moments, keeping a sharp lookout for anyone that might be trying to hunt them down. Facing any of the Coruscant Guard was not going to be in their best interest. Or bounty hunters for that matter. They had to have been framed as assassins by the Chancellor and no doubt he wanted them dead. How he went about it didn't exactly have to be lawful.

“Thanks, Fives.”

“For what?”

“For coming for me.”

“Wouldn't let you die, Tup. Not when you needed my help. You're my friend, my brother. And we clones need to stick together.”

Tup looked ahead of them as they rounded the corner of a building, his eyes locking onto the two figures at the other end of the alley. His gut twisted as they made their way forward. He'd been nervous before. There were always nerves of some kind before a battle. But he'd never had them like this before. It was almost debilitating. He felt a light squeeze from the arm around his waist and with a hesitant smile, he returned it with the arm he had around Five's shoulders. It was nice to know he wasn't the only nervous one.

He shouldn't have been surprised when General Skywalker called out to them before they could announce themselves.

“Glad you could make it.”

Rex turned to look at them, his expression stern. “Fives. Tup. You've got some explaining to do.”

“Yes, sir,” Fives nodded, moving to stand up straight after he was sure Tup could do the same. “We'll...do the best we can.”

“Good.” The Jedi turned to face them, eyes bright and sharp. “Let's hear what you've got to say.”

Tup looked at Fives, who nodded. There was no better time than now.


	2. Taking a Chance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking with me folks! Here's the next update and I hope it's one that you'll enjoy! Please let me know what you think! It feeds the muses. haha
> 
> Much thanks to my beta, Olorisstra (jhaernyl on tumblr). She's a fabulous author in her own right, so go check her stuff out and give her some love. She's been my sounding board for a lot of my ideas on this story and I love her for it (and much, much more)!

Anakin frowned as he looked at the two soldiers before him. The Chancellor had called them traitors, said that they'd tried to kill him. He'd met many assassins during the war (one in particular more times than he'd like to count), and there were certain mannerisms that any assassin he'd ever met had. Neither of these clones were showing that. In fact, they looked tired, exhausted, as if they were just doing their best to stay alive. Tup in particular looked the worst of the two, heavily leaning to one side.

But...the Chancellor wouldn't lie to him. He had to believe that.

“Sir, could we find a place to sit down?”

Turning his attention to his captain, the Jedi gave him a slight frown. “Why?”

Rex, as immovable as ever, met his stare with one just as steady as his own. “Tup looks like he's about to fall over, sir. He won't be able to talk to us if he faints while he's standing.”

Tup looked shocked at the suggestion, though his gaze turned grateful shortly after. Still, he remained standing, waiting till his General made a decision.

When Anakin gave them all a slight nod, he visibly relaxed in relief. A quick look into the building next to them showed that it was empty, abandoned most likely, and without a word to each other, they all made their way inside, Fives helping Tup in and to a deteriorating chair. It was clear that they were unarmed, but Anakin kept his lightsaber close at hand, just in case.

“Alright,” the Jedi stated, once they were all settled. “Start talking.”

“Yes sir,” Fives nodded. “Should I start when we split up?”

“Yes, we all know what happened before,” Rex answered, crossing his arms over his chest.

Fives swallowed, nodded his head again, and started his tale. Of how he and Tup had been separated, how he'd managed to convince one of the medic droids to help him find out what was going on with his brother and the discovery of the bio-chip. He choked a little when he mentioned how they'd almost lost Tup. To himself, he was not really sure why the almost death of his brother had hit him so hard. He'd lost several brothers in battle. Hundred thousands of them. Maybe there was something more frightening in losing someone to a disease or virus compared to a blaster shot on a battlefield.

“This medic droid knew it would be going against orders, didn't it?” Anakin asked.

“Yes, but it's programmed to help those who need it,” Fives argued. “So it was only doing as it was programmed. Sir.”

The Jedi frowned, but couldn't refute the response. Droids weren't like sentient beings. They had their programming and they stayed faithful to it. For the most part. “Go on.”

Nodding, Fives continued with how he'd had the droid take his own bio-chip out, how he'd aggressively stated that he knew something was wrong to Shaak Ti. Then he and Tup had been taken to Coruscant, to be examined by a medic there.

Tup chipped in when he could. He shared how indifferent the Kaminoans had appeared. He also stated that things had felt off or wrong and that they should have guessed something bad was going to happen when the Chancellor had asked for everyone but his own guards to leave the room.

Rex frowned. “Everyone?”

Tup nodded. “Yes, sir. He said he wanted to question us personally.”

Fives growled. “And then he attacked us.”

Anakin narrowed his eyes. “Attacked you?”

Clearing his throat, Fives nodded. “Yes, we...acted out of self defense, sir.”

“The Chancellor somehow opened the doors to the room we were in,” Tup added. “The next thing we knew...we were being chased down by General Shaak Ti.”

The room fell silent, Tup wincing as he shifted in his seat. It was uncomfortable, but three of the four men in the room were soldiers and had been raised to stand firm in uncomfortable situations. Only Tup showed any signs of weakening, but that was more due to his injury than to his lack of will. Fives was glad to see it, given how unsure his brother had been of their self-given mission until just before they'd met their general and captain. Finally Anakin raised his head, a heavy frown on his face and his eyes narrowed.

“You're lying.” The Jedi had been expecting his words to incite rage, to bring out the truth. He hadn't expected to see the crestfallen faces of two of his soldiers, of the broken look in their eyes. But the Chancellor wouldn't-

“No, sir, we're not,” Fives answered simply, though he looked as if he was getting ready to grab Tup and run. Not as a guilty criminal, but as a man merely trying to survive and keep a comrade alive.

“There is way to see if things are as they say, General,” Rex cut in, seeking to play the role of keeping the peace between two battling sides.

“What do you mean?” Anakin asked, turning his slight irritation on his captain. The fact that things hadn't just settled themselves with his last statement had him frustrated.

The clone remained unfazed and responded with his normal cool. “Let the temple do that procedure on me. If there is a bio-chip, they can study it and find out if it is a threat.”

Tup looked horrified at the suggestion. “Sir, it could kill you! It almost killed me!”

Rex gave his trooper a shake of the head. “I don't think it will. You were severely weakened before the medic droid pulled this bio-chip from your head. Fives had no threat of death when his own was removed. Besides, if this is all true, we need to find a way to remove this thing from _all_ of our brothers safely. It would be disastrous for the Republic if several clones started showing the behavior you did.”

With a sharp shake of his head, the Jedi brushed back some of his hair. “True as that may be, Rex, the Chancellor has called these two to be killed on sight. We can't just ask for this procedure on you and think no one would be suspicious of the timing.”

The clone gave his general a sideways look. “So we didn't see them or meet up with them. General Shaak Ti will no doubt report to the Jedi council of what happened and thus we can claim that we learned of the possibility of a bio-chip there until we can clear their names. General Kenobi is sure to mention something of it to you.”

Anakin frowned. “I hate it when you're right.”

The smirk that followed that statement couldn't be stopped. “I know, sir.”

After a few seconds, the Jedi gave a long huff of breath, shaking his head. “Fine, we'll do it that way. We can't do anything for the two of you in the meantime. Not until we get solid results.”

“I understand, sir,” Fives responded, looking relieved. He sent a grateful look to his captain before turning his attention back to his general. “We'll lay low until then.”

“See to it that you do,” Anakin said softly, his blue eyes softening as he felt something in his chest swell with pride. “I don't want to lose either of you...”

“You won't, sir,” Tup stated, slowly pushing himself to his feet. “You'll see.”

“Rex, we're heading out.” The Jedi stood up, took one last glance at the two fugitives before walking over and placing a hand on each of their shoulders. “May the Force be with you.” He wasn't sure why he'd said it, but he felt like it had needed to be said.

Both Fives and Tup looked at each other before turning hopeful and proud gazes back to their general. “Thank you, sir.”

Tup even gave him a small smile. “May it be with you too, sir.”

Anakin nodded and walked out, looking for anything that might prove he and Rex had been there before he made his way out of the alley.

Rex came over and took his superior's place, putting a hand on their shoulders and looking them dead in the eye. “This is going to be harder than any training you've ever had, any battle you've fought,” he said with a frown. “You'll be surrounded by people you know, but can't call friends. Stay low and keep out of sight. I will send Kix to any coordinates you want to give me now for a later time to check on your health and your injury. This place is no longer safe.”

“We don't want-” Fives started, only to stop when his captain gave him a stern look.

“Tup is injured. A blind man could see that. While he might not require immediate medical aid, he does need it. Kix is already involved,” Rex stated. “He was the minute you contacted him. Besides, he's a medic.”

Both Tup and Fives grinned. No further explanation was needed than that, as all medics shared a tendency to not care about circumstances if there was someone who needed their help.

Fives gave Rex coordinates to where Kix could meet up with them and both saluted their captain before he made his way out of the building and met back up with Anakin. The two men left, walking slowly away and managed to capture any attention there was to be caught. Fives nodded to Tup and together they left, making their way to the coordinates Fives had given Rex. They were on their own now. It wasn't going to be easy, but it would be easier to hide in the underworld than anywhere else right now.

“We'll need to find a safe place,” Fives stated as they went, looking back and forth at any cross section they came up to. “A place where we can lie low.”

“There seem to be a lot of abandoned buildings around here,” Tup said, looking around with a sharper gaze than he had been before. “Maybe we could...take over one, for a while.”

“It could be months that we're out here, Tup,” Fives sighed. “I hope you're ready for that.”

“With General Skywalker and Captain Rex at our backs?” The injured clone grinned. “I think I can handle that.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

“I don't like it, Rex,” Anakin grumbled as they got into the speeder, to head back to the upper part of Coruscant.

“Don't like what, sir?” Rex asked, keeping his eyes forward as he started guiding the vehicle forward.

“This situation,” the Jedi sighed. “They attacked the Chancellor. We should have turned them in.”

For a moment, the clone was quiet, putting together his thoughts. “With all due respect, General, I don't think the Chancellor is being honest with us.”

Anakin turned his attention to the other man, eyes narrowed in curiosity. “Explain.”

Rex nodded. “He claimed to be attacked. We clones would not attack anyone of the Republic unless they were a threat to those around them or to ourselves. Both Fives and Tup have had plenty of field experience. They're not rookies when it comes to knowing whether someone is a danger or not.”

“What's your point?”

“Fives and Tup wouldn't have attacked unless they were attacked first,” the captain said, his hands tightening minutely on the controls of the speeder. “I fully believe that.”

“You're saying that you believe that the Chancellor did attack them?” the Jedi asked, feeling rage building inside of him.

“Yes sir,” Rex answered, keeping his eyes forward.

“And that he framed them?”

“I don't know about that,” the clone replied. “It simply could be a misunderstanding that he hasn't had a chance to fix. But I do know this. I have served on several battlefields with both Fives and Tup. We both have. They are excellent soldiers and they haven't let us down. And tonight...they were acting no differently than any other time I've served with them. They were sane, sir. Fearful, perhaps, but sane.”

“You don't doubt them,” Anakin stated, the rage that had been building now ebbing away. It was hard to argue with the calm logic his captain was sharing, especially when his own mind seemed to be at war of who to believe.

“I don't,” Rex nodded. “They've earned my trust.”

Trust. The word brought warmth to Anakin's chest. Rex's trust in his men, in his fellow clones, was touching and inspiring. Despite the odds, he had complete faith in Fives' and Tup's story. Along with the warmth, however, came an icy dagger. Not so long ago, he'd abandoned his trust in someone. In turn, theirs had been completely shattered by the Jedi Order. Melancholy filled his gaze. There were days where he really missed his Padawan. Ahsoka had balanced him in a way. Had saved him more times than he'd like to count.

_Wish you were here, Snips,_ Anakin thought sadly. _I wish I could have done more for you and made you stay._

With a heavy sigh, the Jedi sat back in his seat. “I guess we'll have to go with that for now. I want to believe them, but I can't doubt the Chancellor either.”

Rex nodded. “I understand, sir. He is the ruling party of the Republic. But, if I may...don't put all of your faith in one person.”

The words stopped any train of thought Anakin might have had before it and he was silent for the rest of their ride back to the Temple. He'd certainly been given a lot to think about tonight.

~*~*~*~*~*~

When Kix had been given the information from Rex, with direct orders to see to it that both men were kept strong in both spirit and health, the medic in him had kicked in at full speed. As soon as their call ended, he headed to the supply room and packed up medical supplies for the injury his captain had described. He tried to keep his packing light as he didn't want to attract attention to what he was doing. Yes, he was helping two of his brothers out, but at the moment, they were also fugitives. If he got them caught, he'd never forgive himself.

It was harder to be inconspicuous when you shared barracks with several other soldiers, but through some quick thinking and careful wording, Kix managed to put his things together and brush off any inquiries of what he was doing. He merely shrugged and replied that he was following orders from the captain. The others didn't question it. Some even joked that Rex was playing a prank on him of some kind. If that's what they thought, then all the better. He merely grinned with them and said 'orders are orders', which got him a bit more teasing, but that was it.

It wasn't until he stepped outside of the barracks that he realized he'd fooled all but one of his brothers.

“Where is the captain sending you, Kix?”

Turning around, the medic stared at the inquisitor. Jesse. “I'm...not really sure, Jesse. He just gave me some coordinates and told me to go there.”

The trooper merely stared at him for a moment before he walked up to him, keeping his voice low. “You're going to help out Fives and Tup, aren't you?”

Kix's heart picked up speed. “What?”

Jesse sighed. “I'm not an idiot, Kix. I saw you talking to a soldier with a cap pulled low over his head at 79's. That was Fives, wasn't it?”

Resisting the urge to swallow, the medic squared his shoulders. “I-”

“I'm coming with you.” Jesse's grin was growing, his stance relaxing. “They need our help, don't they?”

“They've been branded as traitors, Jesse,” Kix replied.

“They're our brothers,” the other clone argued. “If Captain Rex is sending you down to help them, then they must be innocent.”

“We could get into serious trouble,” the medic stated, though all the experiences they had shared and his knowledge on Jesse's character was telling him he could trust the other man. Not that he really had much choice now, but he knew the information would be safe with this brother.

“Hah, wouldn't be the first time,” Jesse smiled sardonically. “Remember Krell?”

Kix nodded, the memory of the fallen Jedi turning his gut. It still didn't sit right with him. Of the way Hardcase's, Jesse's, and Fives' heroics had been made out as mere disobedience, of the court martial order than had followed. Of Dogma, so true and faithful til nearly the end, now sitting in a cell somewhere for killing a general that had wanted them all dead. “Yes. I remember that.” He was quiet for a second before he looked at his fellow soldier in the eye, now as a medic. “Alright, I will contact Captain Rex and have him relay orders to you as well. We must be discreet! Here's a list of what I want you to bring along.”

It took little time to call their captain on an encrypted line and explain what had just happened. Rex appeared frustrated at first, but then seemed strangely pleased by the turn of events. Kix watched as Jesse received his 'orders', his brother grinning as he turned from their spot back towards the barracks. He didn't have time to simply sit and wait, so he sent the coordinates to Jesse that he'd gotten from Rex with instructions to take a personal transport. He would be taking public transit. The less they did together, the better. He'd hate for all of this to blow up in their faces.

A taxi cab took him to the edge of the lower levels, where he then caught a general transport down into the hole. He never did like coming down this way, but after seeing it, it was a good place for Fives and Tup to hide. He stepped off with a few others on a few levels above where he needed to go. Perhaps he was being overly cautious in breaking up his trail, but he didn't want to take any chances. He passed a few of the Coruscant Guard as he made his way to the lifts, hoping to come off as casual as he passed by them. Deception wasn't his forte.

It wasn't too hard to find the place that Fives had picked out as a rendezvous point and with cautious steps, he moved forward. He hoped that his brothers had made it to the spot already. “Fives? Tup?” He kept his voice low, hoping they were nearby.

He repeated the call, at regular intervals, for another ten minutes, dread rising as his mind conjured up all of the obstacles or things that could have happened to them on their way to this spot. That was when he heard a voice very similar to his own.

“Kix?”

Relief flooded the medic's thoughts. “Fives! Where are you?”

As if to answer his question, said clone revealed himself from behind a stack of large crates, looking in every direction before motioning him over. “This way.”

Kix made his way over quietly, slipping behind the crate where Fives had been standing. It was a surprisingly tidy little hole within the crates, considering they were in the underworld, with enough light coming from the lights above that he could see his brothers in prefect clarity, despite being in an abandoned freight yard. He frowned once he got a good look at Tup, who was sitting on a smaller crate, his face tight. He was covered in sweat and looked paler than Kix had ever seen him. “You really should've let me-”

Fives cut him off. “We didn't have time. We still don't.”

Removing his pack, Kix moved to kneel by Tup's side, examining the wound with practiced eyes. “You have enough right now. I just hope Jesse gets here in time.”

Tup blinked. “Jesse?”

“He caught me on my way here,” the medic explained, removing the protective armor from Tup's leg. “Saw Fives at 79's.”

“Shit,” Fives spat. “If he saw me-”

“No one else did,” Kix assured him, though now he was little concerned himself. “We were the only ones from the 501st there. When the shock guards came through, no one else recognized you.”

Tup winced as Kix sprayed his leg, cleaning the injury, before letting out a soft breath when a painkiller was applied after. “Thanks, Kix.”

The medic smiled. “Just doing my job, Tup. Besides, Captain Rex believes in the two of you. If he does, that's good enough for me.”

A sound of a speeder caught their attention and all three of them stilled. Kix could recognize it as one from the barracks. He guessed that Jesse had purposely picked the infamous 'noisy' one that seemed to never get fixed and had a very distinctive hum to it. He went back to taking care of Tup as Fives kept the lookout.

It wasn't long before they could see it was Jesse, the speeder miraculously coming close enough and moving slow enough that Fives could see his familiar head through the open hood of the speeder. Jesse soared right by them shortly after and parked a bit further away where there was room for the vehicle. Instead of making him search for them, Fives went off to find him, making sure that Kix was on the finishing end of his repairs. Or what he could do at this point at least. Once finished, Kix helped Tup to his feet, glad to see that his brother seemed to be feeling a little better.

“Have you two found a place to lay low?” the medic asked as they made their way stealthily through the crates.

“Not yet, but there are a lot of abandoned buildings in this area,” Tup answered.

“Don't tell me more than you need to, Tup,” Kix said, catching a glimpse of Fives and Jesse up ahead. “The less I know, the better.”

“You don't think they know that you've helped us, do you?” his brother asked, his expression turning into a horrified one.

“I don't know, but I'm not taking chances. I'll keep you both safe, no matter what it costs.”

The four clones met together briefly, Jesse handing off what was in his pack. Blankets, plain clothes, ration bars. They all agreed that they couldn't leave the actual pack behind (one less thing to trace), but a blanket served just as well to carry the extra items. Kix then handed them a small, disposable med kit, one that wouldn't be missed and had the essentials inside. Before he and Jesse left, he gave the two an encrypted comm link, telling them to alert him to anything if they needed help. It wouldn't be good to clear their names only to find they'd died of something that was easily preventable.

“Thanks Kix, Jesse,” Fives stated once he'd secured the laden blanket to his back. “We...we're glad you believe us.”

“If what you told me back at the cantina is true, then we're the ones who should be grateful,” Kix replied, lifting his eyes to the ceiling above them and sighing. “We should leave. Can't stay here much longer.”

“Thanks again, Kix,” Tup nodded, walking more steadily on his own. “You too, Jesse.”

“Be safe, brothers,” Jesse said, his voice soft. “We need you with us.”

Fives and Tup nodded before they were running off into a nearby alleyway. Kix didn't like it, but if it was true that those at the top had some kind of control of their minds, he'd rather be branded a traitor than go along with it. Jesse left before him, promising to take the speeder on a little run in the underworld (there was apparently a very good liquor he could use as an excuse for borrowing the vehicle) before returning topside. Kix, however, wandered around a little more, just to throw off anyone's trail, had he been followed. Once he was sure there was enough time between him and Jesse, he called for a taxi and made his way back up.

He sat back in his seat with a sigh as he watched the natural light from the sky grow brighter as they rose upward. He'd done what he could.

Now...now it was up to General Skywalker and Captain Rex.


	3. The First Step

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's the next part! Things move forward in this chapter and I really liked writing it, though writing so many different voices is always harder than I imagine it to be. haha
> 
> My plan for updates is once every 2-3 weeks, but don't think that will always be a constant. Life has a way of throwing curveballs at you when you least expect it. It also depends on the muses and how long they'll work with me. haha
> 
> Thanks again to my wonderful beta Olorisstra! I can't even tell you how much she's helped me shape things!

Just as Rex had guessed, Shaak Ti did indeed tell her story to the council.

Obi-Wan had requested that Anakin be a part of the meeting, as the soldiers involved were from those of the 501st, a notion that only a couple of the council members had been against. With something so delicate in nature, they didn't want anyone outside of the immediate council to know of the situation. However, the majority ruled that he be there. Their argument had been that he tended to barge his way into things he felt he should know about so why not pull him into help maintain silence in the matter? And so Anakin sat through yet another telling of the events on Kamino.

It was different to hear it from Master Shaak Ti's point of view, but too much of it lined up with what he'd heard from Fives and Tup. Too much for him to immediately decide that the two soldiers had been lying. As he listened, quietly, to the council's discussion about what they should do next, he hesitated putting forward Rex's idea. He could stay silent and let the council figure out a solution. Yet, if he did that, he'd be letting down two members of his legion. Two _men_ who's lives were depending on his voice in the matter.

Friends with the Chancellor or not, he'd decided to give the two a chance. He would stick to his word. Beside, he could always apologize to Palpatine later if they turned out to be wrong, right?

“If...I may,” he spoke up, oddly hesitant, like it was hard to speak, “I'd like to make a suggestion.”

The council members looked at each other before Mace gave him a slow nod. “Go ahead, Skywalker.”

Anakin nodded and breathed in deeply. “Why not have the temple healers look at this...thing, this bio-chip? If they could study it and figure out what it's purpose is, maybe then we'd know if what the clones Fives and Tup are claiming is true.”

Obi-Wan's eyes brightened and a small smile spread across his face. Anakin would be hard-pressed to not notice the pride in his eyes and something warmed up inside of him at the sight. How long had it been since he had seen that expression from his Master directed at him, from one he saw as a brother? The other members of the council shared looks between each other, possibly discussing his suggestion silently, through shared thoughts. He really hated it when they did that. It was too easy to become paranoid when you couldn't hear what someone was thinking, especially when they were right in front of you.

“Attached to these clones you are, hm?” Yoda asked.

“They are under my command,” Anakin responded. “I feel responsible for them.”

“That and attachment are two different things, Skywalker,” Ki-Adi stated. “Are you sure you are not mixing them together?”

“With all due respect, Master Mundi,” he replied, feeling anger grow inside of him, “I do know the difference between the two. And if I were in their position...I might have done the same thing, Jedi training or not.”

“What do you mean?” Plo Koon questioned, his voice as gravely, yet calm as it always was, though it was distorted by his hologram.

Anakin sighed. “If it were Jedi in this situation, instead of clones, wouldn't we be doing everything we could to save each other?”

That outright silenced the council. It wasn't the first time that Anakin had seen them this way, but it certainly was one of the rare times that he'd been the cause of it. It made him a little proud, even if he still didn't like the idea of hiding all of this from Chancellor Palpatine.

Obi-Wan was the one to break the silence. “That's a valid point. We shouldn't push aside this issue just because it doesn't directly involve us.”

Kit Fisto shook his head, his hologram image distorting slightly as he did so. “If what Shaak Ti has shared is true, it does involve us, very closely. Those clones claim that this chip could drive them to attack the Jedi. We should not ignore this possible threat.”

With a nod, Adi Gallia agreed. “We should not let Master Tiplar's death be in vain.”

Eeth Koth's expression turned thoughtful. “So it was this chip that made one of the clones kill her?”

Mace frowned and steepled his fingers in front of him. “We have no way of knowing that unless we can get more concrete information. We need to study one of these chips.”

“Unfortunately, that is not possible,” Shaak Ti said, her tone somber. “Chancellor Palpatine insisted that both samples be turned over to the Republic and that he would inform us of any results they found.”

“There is another option,” Anakin chipped in. “We could scan another clone and pull the chip from him.”

“Yes,” Yoda hummed. “Many sources of this chip, we have.”

Ki-Adi nodded. “The legion under your command is here on Coruscant at the moment, are they not? Perhaps we could use one of them.”

Anakin fought off his irritation at the rather brusque manner Master Mundi treated the clones. They were sentient beings too, damn it. “I already have a volunteer.”

“Oh?” Saesee Tiin looked intrigued.

“Captain Rex,” the young man answered. “He told me that he wanted to do what he could for his men.”

“Despite the fact that Chancellor Palpatine has called them traitors and assassins?” the Tholothian Master asked.

“He's loyal to his men,” Anakin merely said.

“Hmmm,” Yoda hummed, closing his eyes. “Yes, aid us in this way, your captain will. Bright, this path is, in the Force.”

The Korun Master nodded his agreement. “I agree. If you would have Captain Rex report to us, Skywalker, it would be much appreciated.”

Anakin bowed respectfully to the council. “Right away.”

Mace turned his attention to Shaak Ti. “Would you go to the Chief Healer and explain our situation?”

The Togruta Jedi nodded. “Of course. I, too, would like more answers. This situation has unsettled me.”

Obi-Wan stood up from his seat. “Well, if that's settled, I think I'll go with Anakin. I'd like to meet up with Captain Rex and make sure that he gets here in one piece.”

Anakin smirked. “Don't you trust me, Master?”

The older man merely raised a brow and a corner of his lips lifted slightly. “You have a tendency to forget the details of protocol.”

“I learned from the best,” Anakin teased. They both bowed in respect to the council as they left the room side by side.

The two of them walked in amiable silence for a moment, simply taking in the daily life of the temple. A group of older Initiates ran past them, shouting out greetings as they continued on their way, only to be followed by an exhausted Master. He apologized profusely as he passed, calling after the Initiates in irritation. Anakin chuckled at the whole exchange. He wondered, honestly, if he and Padmé would ever have kids. He quickly checked his shields, to make sure that he wasn't broadcasting the thought. He'd done so before, in the middle of his padawan years, and it was not a moment he wished to repeat.

Obi-Wan, however, was smiling, no hint of suspicion in his gaze. “So young and not a care in the world.”

Anakin nodded, quiet.

He'd never had that, as a kid. Raised a slave, he'd been shown the harshness of reality from a very young age. Even after Qui-Gon had helped him get free, he'd been forced to leave his mother behind, the one person in the world who had loved him regardless of what he did or said. She'd been fully supportive of his becoming a Jedi. Then he'd been judged by the council to be too old to trained. It had stung, to hear the outright rejection. Qui-Gon had then announced his intentions to claim Anakin as a padawan, regardless of the council. Then... then they'd lost Qui-Gon.

He'd been so scared then, so frightened that he'd be sent back to Tatooine. But Obi-Wan had stepped up to the plate and said he would train him in his fallen Master's place. He would never forget what Obi-Wan had done for him, despite their rough times together, but there were times where he was jealous of what the Initiates had. Of what he'd never been able to obtain.

His silence didn't go unnoticed missed by Obi-Wan, who allowed a mournful look to cross his face. “I wish I could have given you that, Anakin.”

Anakin stared at his Master for a moment, before gently shaking his head. “It was out of my reach before I ever knew you existed, Master.”

Obi-Wan nodded. “Still, you have grown into a fine Knight and a wonderful, if reckless, user of the Force.”

“I learned all of it from you,” he retorted, again, feeling a peace calm his jealous feelings.

“Yes, both good and bad, I suppose,” Obi-Wan smirked. “It's a wonder we both didn't get removed from the Order at some point.”

“I believe that we can agree that Master Qui-Gon Jinn is more at fault there than you are,” Anakin said. “You had to learn it from somewhere too.”

His Master's eyes crinkled with mirth, as he laughed, though not even a diplomat as experienced as Obi-Wan could hide the sadness, the faint pain in his eyes at the mention of his old Master and whichever thoughts or memories had come with it. “Indeed. If only he knew the troublemakers he'd trained.”

Anakin smirked. “By proxy, in my case.”

Obi-Wan continued to chuckle, though his focus turned more serious. “I am proud of you, Anakin. You've become a magnificent Jedi. The way you handled today in the council chamber was the best I've seen yet.”

Blinking, the younger Jedi turned his head in slight confusion. “What do you mean?”

“I could sense your frustration back there,” Obi-Wan replied, “especially when the clones were treated as...less than sentient beings.”

“They may be soldiers, but they think just as quickly and as intelligently as any other person I've met,” Anakin sighed. “More so in a lot of cases. I wish some of the other Jedi would see that too.”

“There are many different opinions concerning the clones,” the older man nodded, “for better or for worse. But we can't force opinions to change. The best we can do is be patient and hope that in time, things will turn out for the better.”

Their conversation remained friendly and cheerful after that. They spoke of more casual things, such as a new tea blend that Obi-Wan had discovered (Anakin was a caff man himself) or the newest in robotics that the younger man had known about for years. He been excited to share some of the more recent updates and improvements he'd made to his cybernetic arm, some of the details of which his Master showed very open curiosity. Even if what he was sharing wasn't fully understood, he had always felt that his Master tried to catch most of it.

It was only once they were sitting in one of the hangers of the Temple that Anakin activated his comm and contacted his captain, to inform him of the situation. Obi-Wan wandered over to where the Temple guards stood, to inform them of their upcoming guest. Rex responded immediately and announced that he would arrive in the hangar as soon as possible. Anakin suspected that the clone knew he wasn't alone and felt himself swell with pride. Really, Rex was one of the best individuals he'd ever met, clone or not. The man always seemed to know when to bring things up or when to leave them hidden in silence.

Rex arrived in full armor, his helmet held to his side. After rigorous scanning by some of the temple guards, he was allowed through. He wasted no time in marching straight over to where the two generals were waiting for him. “Good afternoon, General Skywalker. General Kenobi.”

Obi-Wan bowed his head gracefully. “Good to see you again, Rex. Are you ready to meet with the council?”

The clone nodded once. “Of course, sir. I'll do what I can to help.”

“I'll go let them know you're here,” Obi-Wan smiled. “I'm sure Anakin can keep you entertained until we need you.”

“Really, Master, you make it sound like I'm a terrible host,” Anakin stated.

Merely chuckling in response, Obi-Wan excused himself, leaving the two men on their own. Anakin turned his attention to Rex and motioned for him to follow, which the clone did without hesitation. They walked in silence for a moment, the Jedi only commenting on where they were or what some of things around the building was used for. They passed through one of the gardens, leaving it just as a 'rain shower' was beginning. The clone wiped off some of the drops of water from his armor as they entered one of the hallways again.

“So this is what it looks like on the inside,” Rex said, looking around the hallways of the Temple.

“It's where I was raised,” Anakin nodded. “Though, I suppose that security is tight these days. It always has been, but more so now.”

“After the bombing that happened not too long ago, it's no surprise,” the clone replied. “I'm surprised I got in as quickly as I did.”

The Jedi threw a grin in his captain's direction. “Are you saying our security is lax, Rex?”

Rex frowned. “No, but it still surprised me that they did not hold me back for more than ten minutes, sir. Though I suppose there are hundreds of lightsaber wielding Jedi here.”

Anakin fell quiet for only a few seconds. “We're not invincible, Rex. The events of the past few weeks should be more than enough proof of that.”

With a soft breath, Rex nodded. “Don't you worry, General. Things will turn out right. You'll see. We'll figure out what's going on and get things straightened out. We'll find the truth.”

Before their conversation could continue, Anakin's comm beeped at him. “Skywalker here.”

Mace's deep voice answered him. “We're ready to speak with Captain Rex. Please bring him to the council room.”

Rex merely nodded when the young Jedi looked at him. He gave the clone a grin before he spoke into his comm. “On our way.”

“Is there anything I should expect, sir?” Rex asked, keeping his eyes forward as they walked to the High Council chamber. Several passing Jedi were openly staring at him, no doubt curious as to why he was here. Non-Jedi personnel or visitors were rare.

“I don't exactly have the best experiences with the council, so I'm not sure you want my advice,” Anakin said, a small frown forming on his face. “Just be honest and don't try to hide anything unnecessarily. They won't pry into your mind unless they feel it's warranted.”

“I see,” the clone hummed, though he did look a little disturbed by the thought. In a softer voice that only the Jedi could hear, he added, “I'll do my best.”

Anakin didn't need to ask what he meant. If the council found out that they had met with Fives and Tup, he didn't think their reaction was going to be a good one.

Once they arrived at the doors of the room, they waited only for a moment before they were opened by the guards. Rex followed a step after his general, resorting to rank to play it safe. It wouldn't do to start off offending some of the most powerful Jedi on the planet, if not the galaxy. He nodded to Anakin when the general looked over his shoulder and gave him a mute signal, stepping forward to stand next to the Jedi's side.

Mace nodded his head in greeting to the pair. “Captain Rex. It's good to see you.”

Rex stood tall, his soldier's training kicking in. “It's good to see you as well, sir.”

The Cerean Master spoke next, his words making Rex's general stiffen in a way that usually meant he was trying not to bristle. “Are you nervous, Captain?”

Blinking, the clone looked at the source of the question. “No sir. Should I be?”

With a grin, Saesee said, “That will depend on your responses.”

Yoda snorted, frowning a bit. “Impatient, you are. Wait, we must, for Shaak Ti and Vokara Che.”

As if summoned by his words, the doors opened, all turning to face them, and revealed the said two personages. Shaak Ti nodded her head to the Twi'lek healer before moving to take her seat, leaving Vokara to wait patiently near the door. Anakin had dealt with the Chief Healer before and knew that Rex was going to be in the best of hands if she would lead the operation. Once the Togruta Master was settled, the council nodded to each other before they turned their attention back to Rex. The clone remained unshaken by it.

“Captain Rex, what do you know of the situation concerning ARC trooper Fives and trooper Tup?” Mace asked, once they were all settled. “We are all aware of what happened at Ringo Vinda, so you may start after that.”

“Well, sir, that leaves little to share. I know that they were first sent to Kamino and then transferred here along with General Ti. That's all that I have concrete information on.” Rex answered.

“You are aware that they are wanted men, correct?” Adi questioned.

“Yes sir,” Rex nodded, “though I do not fully know why so I can not say I would happily comply with the order to kill them on sight.”

Anakin was furious. What was the council doing? He'd said that Rex was up for the surgery. Why didn't they simply believe him? _They don't trust me._

 _It's not that, Anakin._ Obi-Wan's voice came through his mind, able to reach him because of their never dissolved training bond. Anakin hadn't been aware that he'd sent the thought out to be heard. _The council simply wants to be sure that Rex knows what he's getting into._ He _has to make this decision for himself. We all agreed that he was to be treated like we would anyone else, clone or not. It is in no way a lack of trust in you._

The words mollified Anakin's anger, though it did not completely disappear. He'd always felt that the council didn't have much trust for him. And while Obi-Wan might be willing to give everyone a fair chance, he _knew_ there were others on the council that were stubborn and wouldn't play fair with everyone. He'd seen it first hand.

“They are wanted for attacking the Chancellor,” Plo stated, though his voice held no inflection. Just simply stating a fact.

Rex paused for only a moment. “Did he attack them first, sir?”

The captain's response stunned the council. Obi-Wan, who looked genuinely surprised himself, was the first to respond. “What in the Force would make you ask that?”

Standing firm, Rex basically copied what he'd told Anakin the night before. “We clones have been raised to protect the Republic. That includes civilians, government officials, and anyone else that falls under it's protection. We would not attack anyone under that protection unless it was for the safety of the Republic or it was in self defense.” He turned his attention to the Togruta Master. “General Ti has no doubt watched this be drilled into each clone before they are approved for active duty.”

Shaak nodded thoughtfully, her expression turning to one of deep thought. “You are correct, captain. How I did not remember this, I do not know. My memory is...foggy of the moments with the Chancellor.”

Anakin spoke then, if only to sooth any hurt Rex's words might have caused, though it didn't feel as if anyone were upset with them. “Your first thought was probably to protect the Chancellor, Master Ti, no matter of who the threat was.”

Mace brought the attention back to the purpose at hand. “Regardless of the circumstances of why they attacked the Chancellor, they have been branded as assassins and fugitives. There is another matter, Captain Rex, that has not reached the public's ears for good reason, that is directly connected to this.”

“A bio-chip inside of the clones' heads has been found,” Yoda added. “How feel about this, do you?”

“A bio-chip, sir?” Rex asked in reply, playing the part of a confused man. Anakin had to admit he was quite proud to see such acting. He never would have pinned Rex for the talent before. “Is that why you've asked me here? To see if I have this bio-chip?”

“You're a very intelligent man,” Kit smiled, his image flickering. “I can see why Knight Skywalker is so pleased to have you under his command.”

“In response to your questions, yes,” Mace nodded. “We would like to study this bio-chip, to find out what it's purpose is.”

“If I can be of any service to you or my men,” Rex stated, almost standing at attention, “then I will willingly go through any surgery.”

“You would still stand by them?” the Cerean Master asked. “Even with the titles of assassins and fugitives on their heads?”

“I stand by what I said before, General Mundi,” the clone replied. “They would not attack unless they were attacked first.”

“Then you would defy the Chancellor's order to have them killed on sight?” Saesee question, his brow raised in curiosity.

“If I may be bold, sir,” Rex frowned, “I serve the Republic. Even if he is the leader of the Senate, Chancellor Palpatine is one man. Until I receive proof that my men are in the wrong, I will put my strengths to protecting the whole instead of one.”

Something about his words hit Anakin hard. The whole...instead of one. He was friends with the Chancellor, yes, but as Rex had said, he was but a single person. The position of Chancellor could always be filled by someone else. Whether the replacement would do as well in the position was another matter entirely, but the fact remained that Chancellor Palpatine could be removed from his position, just like Chancellor Valorum before him. In fact, hadn't Palpatine openly said that he was taking the seat as a temporary position, just before the war had really started? He'd only taken the seat because the Senate had asked him to.

Rex was so loyal to the people he served. When had Anakin forgot that, as a Jedi, that was his purpose as well?

Mace tilted his head in recognition of Rex's words. “The one sometimes is more powerful than the whole.”

The clone remained unshakable. “True as that may be, General Windu, as a soldier, I am there to protect those who can not protect themselves. I will do my best to protect as many as possible, not just one.”

Yoda smiled at the captain. “Brave you are, yes. And loyal. More like you, the Republic should have.”

Rex nodded his head to the small green Master. “Thank you, sir. I'm honored to hear you say that. However, I'm simply a soldier.”

Plo let out a woof through his mask, which most translated to a snort. “Soldier or not, Captain, you are just as important to us as any other sentient species.”

When it was clear that none of the council members had anything more to say, the Korun Master sat back in his seat. “Then it's been decided. With Captain Rex willing, we will have him go through the surgery to remove the bio-chip in his head so we may study it and find out what it was for. Chief Healer, do you have any thoughts on this?”

Vokara stepped out from where she was standing, taking a more centered position in the room. “No, Master Windu, I have nothing to add. The state of mind that Captain Rex has is strong and stable. The surgery will most likely be a success.”

“Most likely?” Anakin asked, frowning.

“There is always a chance, Knight Skywalker,” the Twi'lek answered kindly, if not sternly. “Even if it is less than one percent, there will always be a chance that something can fail. There is no perfect surgery. However, you can be assured that your captain will be in good hands.”

“We would like to start as soon as possible,” Mace stated, turning his attention back to the clone. “Are you ready?”

“Yes sir,” Rex nodded.

“Come this way then, Captain,” Vokara said, motioning for the clone to follow her. “I will tell you what the procedure will entail once we are in the medical rooms. I will have results for you soon, members of the High Council.”

“Thank you,” Yoda nodded. “Await your results, we will.”


	4. Theories and Revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter threw in a twist for me, but it was one I really liked. I hope you all will like it just as much! Tell me what you think as comments are always loved!

“You're pacing.”

Obi-Wan watched as his former student sighed and gave him a mild glare. “It's been two hours. Why haven't we heard anything?”

The older Jedi merely grinned lightly in response. “Patience, Anakin. I believe I've taught you about how to wait before.”

“Yes, well the lessons never really did stick,” Anakin grumbled, sitting down in a nearby chair. “I didn't think it would take this long.”

“Perhaps there were more things Vokara wanted to discuss with Rex before she started the surgery,” Obi-Wan suggested. “Or they found something that needed to be dealt with before they started.”

“Like what?” the young asked, obviously irritated.

“I'm not a healer or a doctor,” Obi-Wan answered. “Rex is fine. You can feel that in the Force, can't you?”

Anakin fell silent, closing his eyes and opening himself up to the Force. He didn't share a bond with Rex like he did with Obi-Wan or Padmé, but he could sense his captain still thriving inside of it. Letting out a heavy breath, he released his anxiety and impatience out to the Force, letting it sweep the feelings aside. Rex was fine. They would get some answers soon enough. What would be shared with the council would determine the fate of Fives and Tup. Perhaps, even, the fate of many, many others.

He wondered what results the Chancellor was finding with the bio-chips he'd kept? He'd have to ask him about it later.

Obi-Wan watched with no little pride as he felt Anakin let his frustrations bleed away into the Force. His former Padawan had come a very long way since they'd first started together. It had been rough on many occasions, with several instances where he was sure that nothing fruitful would come from their training. Yet more times than not, Anakin would surprise him and prove himself to be a skilled knight as well as a compassionate Jedi. Sometimes he felt as if he was dealing with more than one person.

“Kenobi. Skywalker.”

Mace's voice broke through both of their thoughts and they looked up to find him standing at the door of the room they were in. Without so much as a word, they knew what he was there for. Both stood and followed him to a different chamber, where they found the rest of the council waiting for them. Vokara was standing in the center of the room, no doubt going to command most of the attention this time around, with Rex standing dutifully behind her, his blond hair cut even closer to his head than Anakin had ever seen. A medical device sat on the side of his head, no doubt where his bio-chip had been extracted.

Anakin wasted no time in walking over to the clone's side. “How do you feel, Rex?”

Rex nodded his head in greeting, wincing slightly afterward. “Fine, sir. Just a little lightheaded.”

Obi-Wan frowned slightly in concern. “Do you need a chair?”

The clone shook his head slowly. “No, sir. I'll be alright if I don't move too quickly for a little while.”

“He will be fine in a matter of minutes,” Vokara stated, folding her fingers together as she stared the two Jedi down, “as long as he doesn't get distracted by any other questions.”

Both Anakin and Obi-Wan hadn't forgotten about how protective Vokara was over someone who was in her care. In a way, she was far more frightening than anyone else on the council. You did not want to make the Twi'lek angry. They both nodded in silence, Obi-Wan retreating to his chair while Anakin remained standing by his captain. When it was clear that her words had been accepted, the healer turned her attention back to the council, a few among them unable to keep back some amused grins.

Vokara wasted no time, not even letting Mace start the meeting. “Could we darken the windows? I doubt what we'll be discussing here is something we want anyone to be able to spy on.”

Mace frowned but did as she asked, turning to face her as the windows tinted to almost black. “You believe this to be that delicate in nature?”

“If we want to avoid panic and chaos with the public?” the Twi'lek responded. “Most certainly.”

Once the room had settled and some lights had lit up to take the place of Coruscant's sun, the healer pulled a slender glass panel from her robes. Anakin didn't miss the way Rex's face wrinkled in disgust at the sight of it. The Jedi supposed it wasn't an odd reaction. Perhaps Vokara had shared some of her findings with Rex. Or maybe the clone just didn't like the fact that there had been something in his head that he hadn't known about. After all of this, Anakin was almost tempted to get his own head checked.

“This,” Vokara started, “is the bio-chip we removed from Captain Rex.” She walked up to the display center in the room and placed the panel inside. When the image was translated into a larger, easier shape to see, Anakin could very easily understand his captain's disgust. The thing was ugly looking. The Twi'lek continued after the council members had stared at the image for a few moments, fully taking in what they were seeing.

“As you can see, this is a prime example of an inhibitor chip,” the healer said, slowly spinning the image. “While we do not know what exactly this chip does, I can tell by three of the patterns that it was meant to stop clones from doing something with outside forces. Who falls in that category, I can't say.”

“You can tell just by looking at it?” Anakin asked, amazed. It looked like a random piece of tissue to him.

“I am Chief Healer for a reason, Master Skywalker,” the Twi'lek smiled patiently. “I know more than just healing techniques.”

“You say that three of the patterns are ones you know,” Obi-Wan asked, eyes bright with curiosity. The man always did have an obsession with the science side of the world. “How many of them are there?”

“There are six, as far as I can tell,” Vokara answered, pleased by Obi-Wan's interest. “It's a very complex chip and it makes me admire the Kaminoans a bit more that they were able to construct something like this.”

“If only they were willing to cooperate with us,” Shaak sighed softly. “They insisted that this be left in the Republic's hands.”

“While their answers would make things go faster, it doesn't mean figuring out this chip is impossible,” the healer nodded. “It is also good that we are not leaving this entirely to the Republic. One of the patterns on this inorganic chip...concerns me.”

Mace took up his favored thinking pose, steepling his fingers in front of him. “How so?”

Vokara sighed. “I do not have concrete evidence or proof, but after speaking with Captain Rex and learning of the clone Tup's strange behavior before he was taken to Kamino, I suspect that this pattern here,” the Twi'lek circled an area towards the center, “is essentially a bomb.”

Adi frowned in surprise. “A bomb?”

Nodding, the healer stood up straight. “Yes. It looks to be very particular and I can roughly deduce that it would require a very specific command to trigger it. However, once it's set off, my guess is that it would ruin the inhibitor, removing whatever purpose it originally had.”

“I'm afraid I do not see how this makes it better that we are taking this matter into our hands instead of leaving it to the Republic,” the Iktochi Master said, looking a bit confused.

“From the description that Master Ti shared with me,” the Twi'lek replied, “the chip removed from the clone Tup was blackened, misshapen. It looked even worse than this one.”

“Like the supposed bomb had gone off,” Plo stated.

“Exactly,” Vokara nodded. “My guess would be that his bio-chip malfunctioned, that something inside of his head triggered the bomb.”

“With the inhibitor chip no longer active, whatever it was blocking would no longer be stopped,” Obi-Wan murmured, his fingers resting against his chin.

Anakin frowned, sickened at the conclusion they were coming to. “Tup...attacked Master Tiplar. Without hesitation.”

The council fell silent until the Nautolan master's hologram moved forward, his elbows leaning against his knees. “Did he look to kill anyone else?”

Shaking his head, Anakin frowned. “I...couldn't say for sure, but there were others much closer to him than Master Tiplar was.”

Rex shifted in his spot, the first sign that he felt even remotely uncomfortable. “She was the closest _Jedi_ to him, sir. The rest were clones or clankers. And after we managed to hold him down, he kept repeating the same phrase.”

Adi narrowed her eyes. “What phrase?”

Anakin frowned, feeling a strange chill run down his spine. “'Good soldiers follow orders'.”

The clone captain nodded. “Yes...and then he tried to attack General Tiplee.”

The room was silent for a moment as this information settled. It wasn't concrete evidence of any kind, but a threat of this kind wasn't one they could just ignore.

Yoda hummed softly, his expression one of disquiet. “Dreadful, this could be, for both clones and the Jedi.”

Mace nodded his head slowly in agreement. “Indeed. If several clones were to experience this same thing and their targets were Jedi...”

Obi-Wan closed his eyes as the full realization settled over him. “The Jedi Order would be in serious trouble.”

Vokara let silence settle for another moment, removing the chip from the display center, before she spoke up. “This is not concrete proof, council members. I will need more time to study this inhibitor, but I assure you that it will have my whole focus until we can pinpoint what it's meant for. If possible, I'd like to gain a few more of these from other clones and run tests on them. I will do my best to get you results on what they block and what happens when that figurative bomb destroys it. There are two other patterns that I can not tell what they are, but I will do my best to figure it out.”

Anakin almost felt like finding a chair. This was too much. Fives and Tup...they'd been telling the truth. That there was something suspicious going on. He could feel it in the Force, the way it was trying to confirm to him what was true. But if that was the case, why hadn't the Chancellor said anything to any of them? Enough time had gone by that surely he had some answers on the bio-chips. Why wasn't he trying to contact anyone on the council? Or even himself? It couldn't be that the hunt for Fives and Tup was that much more important to him.

Or...were his two fugitives right? That there was a conspiracy that went all the way to the top? But Palpatine wouldn't be apart of something like this.

Right?

Letting out a deep sigh, Anakin closed his eyes and rubbed at his temples. His head hurt.

“Are you alright, general?” Rex asked in a soft voice as the rest of the Jedi in the room continued to share their thoughts on the ideas and information shared.

“Yes,” the young Jedi nodded, “or I will be. I'm just...confused.”

“It seems that we are undecided on how to proceed further.” Mace's voice cut through the room like a knife, silencing any conversations that might have been going on. “Without anything solid, we can not make a decision. Chief Healer, I would ask that you start studying this inhibitor chip immediately and that you contact me personally with any information you do find.”

“Personally, Master Windu?” Vokara asked, her eyes widening slightly.

“The Jedi Order's future is possibly at stake here,” the Korun master replied. “I want to know if that possibility becomes a certainty as soon as possible. This is not just a Republic issue. This a Jedi issue. I want answers as fast as you can get them.”

“Provide me with a few more bio-chips and I'll have my best team start right away,” the Twi'lek healer smiled.

“I believe I can round up a few of my men who would be happy to get rid of this thing, Chief Healer,” Rex stated, giving her his full attention. “Tup's actions shook up a lot of them.”

“Then I will be depending on you,” Vokara nodded. “Let's get started.”

Anakin smiled when Rex gave him a salute, bowed to the council, and then started to march out of the room after the Chief Healer. Rex always had been a man of action. When it was clear that the council had no other business for the day, Mace called an end to the meeting. Kit and Plo's holograms turned off and the other members stood up quietly. Anakin didn't waste any time and made his way out of the room, not realizing that Yoda had been watching him. It was late in the afternoon, but he was suddenly very tired. Maybe some meditation before going to bed would help.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Falling asleep had never been a problem for Anakin. Even in the toughest of situations, he could fall asleep if he set his mind to it. Yet tonight that once infallible ability was out of reach. He'd tried to meditate, but when his thoughts and his confusion had refused to settle, he'd decided that just going to sleep would be his best option. He'd shut of the lights, crawled into bed and steeled his mind so that it would stop thinking. He would ponder on everything in the morning. He would have plenty of time to think about it.

Yet here he was, several hours later, still awake and staring at the ceiling of his room. His thoughts kept drifting as if escaping from his fingers as soon as he had a hold on them. That wasn't right. It was more like something was... pulling them away, out of his reach. Like something didn't want him to be able to focus. It wasn't the Force. That much he knew. The Force had always been a guide to him when he'd listened to it. He wasn't always the best in letting it guide his actions over his emotions, but it had always been a gentle thing in his mind.

With a heavy sigh, he sat up in his bed, now fully aware of how futile it was to try and force himself to sleep. He checked his comm, tapping on the message he'd gotten from Rex. A total of twenty clones had signed up to have their chip removed, among them Kix and Jesse. He wasn't surprised to see their names on the list, especially as he knew they'd been in contact with Fives and Tup at least once since this whole thing had started. He wondered if the two fugitives were alright. Now that he knew they'd been telling the truth, he was truly concerned for their lives.

That also brought to mind the Chancellor. Had he attacked the clones first? Had he tried to kill them? And if he had, why? Why would he want to eliminate them? Wouldn't he want these chips and their potential threat to the Jedi taken care of? His mind filled with a dark fog and Anakin struggled to keep a hold of his thoughts. Why was this so difficult? It shouldn’t be this hard to keep his mind clear, to keep his focus! He had never had such a problem with it before. Though, he had to admit, he had realized it becoming more of a problem lately.

He needed help. As much as he hated to admit it, this problem wasn't something he could handle on his own anymore.

He dressed in his robes and made his way to the hallways of the temple. It was quiet, in the middle of the night, with only a few other Jedi walking around. He nodded his head politely to those who greeted him, but he didn't stop in his walking. It wasn't helping to clear his mind, but he was relying on the Force to guide him to where he needed to go. It led him to one of the gardens, the scent of greenery filling his nose. It had never struck a cord for him, this smell. He'd grown up on a desert planet after all. He couldn't say he disliked the smell though. There was something soothing about it.

A patch of grass in the center was where he finally decided to settle. He sat down, crossing his legs, and letting his arms rest in his lap. A relaxed meditation pose. He did the exercises in deep breathing, closing his eyes, trying to center himself in the gardens. The change of scenery, of smells... hadn't helped. His mind was still as jumbled and refusing to let him simply focus. He could feel his irritation rising. Why? Why couldn't he focus? Since when had meditating become so difficult? Yes, he hadn't really meditated for a while but it had never been this hard.

“Struggling, you are.”

Blue eyes opened and focused on the tiny green figure in front of them. Yoda's face was unreadable, though there was a slight twinkle in his eye. His cane was in hand, but he wasn't using it to lean on. Sometimes Anakin's childhood memory of thinking that the cane being apart of Yoda still seemed relevant. The old master had softened to Anakin over the years, his first formed doubts having faded away. Now all the human could feel from him was peace, comfort, and tranquility. No, not tranquility. More of just being comfortable with where he was.

“Yes,” Anakin answered quietly with a small frown. “I...I can't find my focus.”

“Hmmm,” the little Jedi hummed. “Conflicted, you are. About the meetings?” When Anakin merely nodded, Yoda continued. “Many things were shared, yes. Things that, firsthand, you have seen. But not there, does your confusion lie.”

“Your power with the Force will never be short of astounding, Master Yoda,” the young Jedi replied with a small, sad grin.

Yoda chuckled, the sound light and friendly. Anakin always had liked listening to him when he was amused. “Help you need, to clear your mind. Come to this conclusion, you have, yes?”

It really shouldn't surprise him how Yoda seemed to know everything at times. “I listened to the Force. It led me here. I thought about going to Obi-Wan but...”

Taking a seat in front of the young man, Yoda settled himself into a meditating pose as well. “To seek out your master is wise, yes. But to disturb him from his sleep, not so much.” There was a hint of mirth in Yoda's words and the twinkle in his eye was no longer mysterious. “Thus here, I am. Meditate with me, will you?”

Anakin grinned slightly. “Yeah. Thanks, Master Yoda.”

Yoda smiled and closed his eyes. “Listen to the Force. Connect us, it will.”

Taking in a deep breath, Anakin let it out slowly as he closed his eyes, allowing his body to relax. It took him only a moment to feel the Force surround him, Yoda's unique signature mixing it with it. He reached out to it, letting it take hold of his mind and flood it. For as powerful as many told him he was, Master Yoda was not one to ignore either. His presence was brilliant and bright, yet soft. It had been a long time since Anakin had been able to feel such a presence so closely. It was pleasant.

Yoda, however, was finding things that were not quite so comforting. He kept his mind peaceful, but he was not able to ignore the dark presence that he found in young Skywalker's mind. It was holding on with near deadly force, cutting into whatever thoughts the young man's mind was conjuring. He could not get rid of it, no matter how he prodded and pushed at it, and one point even received a backlash of energy from it. Perhaps he could not get rid of it, but he could help weaken it's hold. It would seem that only Anakin would be able to remove it entirely.

As he tried to cut some of the ties this dark energy had, Yoda came across a single bright thread. It was not a bond like that of a training bond. It was a quiet one, silent in it's strength. The dark energy was attacking this thread most fiercely, trying to sever it. The old master poured his consciousness towards that thread, creating a shield around it, one that would hopefully stick for awhile. Whatever it was, it was important to Anakin and if it were to break, Yoda doubted it would be a good thing. The barest touch of that thread sent quite a shock to Yoda's mind.

Love.

Yoda nearly pulled away and out of his meditation at that. This kind of love was not a general feeling. This one was stronger, far stronger. The kind of strength that one would have towards a partner, a spouse. He'd seen it before in couples outside of the Jedi Order. This was the kind of love that he would normally encourage between two partners. It was a powerful, if gentle tool, that could provide the greatest protection if continuously strengthened and re-enforced. And a thread was only ever this bright, this strong if that love was returned. It normally brought Yoda great joy to see it. But to find this in a Jedi?

The Code simply didn't allow it.

_Yoda._

The voice made the old master pause. He knew that voice. But from where?

_Yoda._

Even in the midst of a shared meditation, Yoda felt his mind separate from Anakin's. Not by his own choice, but by the will of the Force. It didn't feel forced by any means and if anything, it felt right. Confused, Yoda didn't fight it, though he did wonder if young Skywalker was doing alright. Was he feeling the same peaceful separation? Or was he fighting it and trying to reach out to his mind? Yoda didn't feel any desperate searches, but perhaps the Force was, in a sense, blinding him to anything external.

_Yoda. There is somewhere you need to go._

Yoda's mind finally made the connection and he frowned heavily at the realization. _Not possible, this is. Dead, you are._

_My mortal body is no more, yes._

Yoda's frown grew. _Not possible, this should be. One with the Force, you should have become._

The gentle chuckle that followed was so very Qui-Gon Jinn that it was even harder to deny that it was his voice the old master was hearing. _I_ am _one with the_ _Living_ _Force._ _M_ _y consciousness remains_ _present for me to connect with you._

_Why?_ Yoda asked, still a bit disgruntled. Yet it did not feel wrong. In fact, the Force seemed to be trying to convey this to him. That it was okay. But he'd been taught otherwise so... _How?_

_There is somewhere you need to go,_ Qui-Gon's voice gently responded. _There are forgotten things that must be relearned, things that will change the Jedi Order._

_Change?_ Yoda wasn't sure he liked the sound of that. _Change is needed?_

_Yes, or the Order will certainly fall. You must go to Dagobah, my friend. There you will receive the training you need._

~*~*~*~*~*~

Anakin, during this time, had felt Yoda in his mind, had felt the old master poking around. What he'd been doing, exactly, he didn't know, but the young man had noticed a difference. Light was coming back to his mind, in places that he'd forgotten about. Something inside of him craved that light and it took up the task of finding ways to get more of it back. He was so focused on finding that feeling that he almost missed a particular poke at the center of his mind, a shield being put up around it.

Oh no. _Oh no, oh no, oh no._

Panic flooded Anakin's consciousness, almost ruining the work that he and Yoda had made together in clearing his mind. He knew that area of his mind almost better than any other. His love for Padmé, and her love for him in return. Yoda had discovered it. He knew the Code. He knew attachments were forbidden. But he loved her! It wasn't something he could deny! And yet being a Jedi was what he wanted more than anything. If there was a way, he wanted to balance the two. Couldn't it be done?

_Anakin. Can you hear me?_

Anakin's panic spiked for a second, until his mind supplied that it was not Yoda's voice in his mind. In fact, he could feel the old master pulling away from his mind. No, he wasn't pulling away. He was being pulled away, by the Force. Confused, the young man started to reach out, trying to grab a hold of Yoda's consciousness.

_No, Anakin. Let him go. Don't fight it._

It was strange, but Anakin felt compelled to comply. He had no desire to fight against the words. Instead, now, he was trying to figure out that voice. It wasn't Yoda, it wasn't Obi-Wan. It was too deep for either of them. It was soft, gentle. He'd heard this voice before. A long time ago. As he concentrated on his memories, images flashed through his mind. Sand, endless sand. Racing pods and Tusken Raiders. Cheering crowds and then his old home. His mother and...someone tall. Someone protecting him as he made his way to Padmé's ship.

_Master Qui-Gon?_

_Yes, It's me._

_How? You're...dead._ Confusion filled Anakin's mind. Hadn't he been taught that something like this wasn't possible?

_It is possible, Anakin. I have become one with the Force, but my consciousness remains._

_Have you...spoken to Obi-Wan?_

_No. He is not ready. Nor will he be ready to hear that you did hear my voice, so this must remain between the two of us for now._

_Why?_

_The Order has long believed that communication with the dead is impossible, that we all join with the Force when we die. That is, as you can hear, not the case. But I have come today to speak to you._

_Me? Why?_ He was in serious trouble, wasn't it? Well, he had broken a rule...

Qui-Gon's soft laugh filled his mind. _No, Ani, I am not here to lecture you. I am here to help you._

Something in Anakin broke through. How long had it been since anyone had called him by that nickname, besides Padmé? Obi-Wan had never called him that and his mother...Sadness filled his heart at the thought of her and he struggled not to let those feelings overflow his thoughts. He missed her dearly. He wished she was still with him. Why hadn't they been able to save her at the same time as him?

_We will discuss that at another time, Anakin, though I am sorry I could not do more for her. I do not have much time. My training is not complete and I can not speak to you for long._

Anakin had so many questions, but the promise of a later visit from Qui-Gon made it easy to put them to the side. _You're here to help me?_

Qui-Gon's voice hummed in response and for a moment, the young man could swear that he felt his presence around him. _Yes. Your mind is clouded. I am here to help you regain your focus._

_What am I doing wrong?_ Anakin asked, wanting a clear head. His meditation with Yoda had been enough to make him realize how much he'd missed it.

_You are too afraid, Anakin, too angry. Do not let these emotions control you._

_But how? I just...I get so angry and I don't even know why._

_Focus on those most important to you. Feel them in the Force, let them guide you to a clearer mind. Fight to keep them where they should be._

_But...attachment is forbidden by the Code._

_Let_ the Force _guide you, Anakin. Let it lead you to where you need to go._

Without able to ask more, Anakin could feel Qui-Gon fade from his mind, taking some of the fog he had with him. The light was there again, peeking through dark clouds that he had never noticed before. More aware of what he now needed to do, Anakin slowly brought himself out of his meditation. He had a long road ahead of him, it seemed, but something in Qui-Gon's words gave him hope. And that was something he hadn't truly had in years.


	5. A Different Viewpoint

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realize that it's been a while since I posted and I do apologize for that. The holidays have kept me busy and a change at work has made it hard to come home and want to do anything productive (my new boss sucks and we'll leave it at that...)
> 
> Here, however, is a new chapter! I haven't given up on the story, I'm still working on it. I just have been very, very busy. So please, enjoy the update! I hope you'll all like it! Notes will be at the end of the chapter too, for those of you want a little more explanation on things.

The meditation ended and both Yoda and Anakin opened their eyes at the same time. The light in the sky told them that many hours had passed and several Jedi were out wandering around the temple grounds. For a moment, neither of them said anything. Each was processing what had just happened, what had been shared with them. The sounds of young initiates making their way to classes filtered in through their ears and brought reality back to them all the more quickly. The meditation was done. Each had gotten their answers.

“Heard him, did you not?” Yoda asked softly, a small frown on his face.

“Yes, master Yoda,” Anakin said quietly, the fact that Yoda was aware of one of his deepest secrets slowly filling his mind. “I heard him.”

“Impossible, it should be,” the old master sighed, “yet deny it, I can not.”

“I can't either,” the young Jedi agreed meekly, his fear climbing.

“Words for you, he had,” Yoda nodded. “Words you should heed. Words he had for me as well. The Force tells me to follow, it does.”

Anakin swallowed. “He...must have had a reason.”

Humming softly, the old master nodded. “Walk with me, you will? Not here, should we speak.”

They left the garden together, Anakin struggling to keep himself calm. Yoda _knew_. He couldn't deny it, _wouldn't_ deny it, but something of this nature could easily get him kicked out of the Order. He didn't want to give up his life as a Jedi. The council would demand that he cut ties with Padmé. He didn't want to do that either. He was seriously conflicted and just as they made it to Yoda's rooms, it could easily be seen on his face. The doors shut behind him and he stood silent, unsure of what was going to happen.

“Something I know, yes, that troubles your mind.” Yoda turned to face the young Jedi, though his face was calm. There was no judgment.

“Yes,” Anakin replied.

“Guilty, do you feel?” the old master asked, resting his hands on his cane.

Anakin had to think on that one. Did he feel guilty? He didn't feel guilty about Padmé. He loved her. Dearly. She'd been such a light in his life. He didn't even want to think of where he'd be without her. But... “Only about...hiding it, Master Yoda.”

Yoda hummed. “About your feelings, you do not regret.”

Something inside of him steeled itself at the words and the young Jedi stood tall. “No. I don't. I never have.”

With a heavy sigh, Yoda sat down in one of his chairs. “Goes against the Code, this does. Remove you from the Order, the council could.”

Anakin couldn't respond, not for several minutes. He felt like a little boy again, like he'd only just started learning about the responsibilities of a Jedi. At first it made him angry.But then, closing his eyes for a moment, he remembered what Qui-Gon had told him. To listen to the Force, to let it guide him. He felt calmer within seconds, his answer clear. “If that's the will of the council, fine. I...don't want to be a disappointment to you or to Obi-Wan, nor would I want to leave the Order. But I love my wife. She's just as important to me as my life as a Jedi is. I won't be forced to choose between them.”

For a moment, the old master's eyes narrowed at the response. It felt like forever to the young man, but eventually Yoda let out a heavy sigh. “Normally, to the council, this I would take.” He closed his eyes, shaking his head in resignation. “In the Force, however...right, this feels.”

Despite all that he knew of Yoda, Anakin was still confused. Sometimes it was hard to make out what the little Jedi meant. “Master Yoda?”

“A secret, this will remain,” Yoda stated, his eyes still closed. “A secret, we both will keep. But a secret, it can not remain. Eventually, the council you will tell. When, you will know.”

“Then...” Anakin felt the heavy weight that had been resting in his chest shatter and his heart soared.

“In the Force, I will trust, the matter of your marriage,” the old master stated, opening his eyes. However, there was a mischief there that any Jedi raised in the temple knew by heart. “Introduce me to your wife, you will, hmm?”

“But, you already know her...” the young man replied, though he was grinning slightly.

Yoda chuckled, a little grin on his face. “As a senator, yes. As your wife, no.” His smile dimmed a little as his eyes drifted in a different direction. “Much to learn, it would seem, about the Force I still have. A journey, I must take.”

Anakin watched as the old Jedi got to his feet again, heading for the door to his room. “Where?”

Shaking his head, Yoda stepped outside, watching the bustle of the hallway before heading to an unknown destination. He motioned for Anakin to follow him, only resuming his course when he was sure that he would follow. “Tell you, I can not. Alone, this journey must be.”

The young Jedi let a half grin cross his face. “Master Qui-Gon wasn't very descriptive with you, was he?”

With a sharp humph, the old master grumbled. “Discipline him, I should, for teasing an old master so. Dead or not.”

That actually made Anakin laugh and he happily followed him to one of the temple hangers. They met Mace on the way, along with Ki-Adi. The two councilors fell into step, discussing between the three of them of what they had discussed the day before. Anakin kept his silence, though the amusement he felt and the sheer joy of having one of his more 'rebellious' choices _accepted_ , kept a smile on his face. When they made it to the hanger, Mace and Ki-Adi were obviously a little confused.

“Master Yoda, are you sending Skywalker on a mission?” the Korun master asked.

“A mission, yes,” Yoda nodded, staring out at the various ships. “Sending Skywalker, I am not.”

Anakin called over R2-D2 as the Cerean master began to question Yoda about what he meant, realizing why the old master had wanted him to come along. Kneeling down he spoke quietly. “R2, grab a ship that Master Yoda can pilot and then get him out of here. After that, follow his orders, okay?”

The little droid beeped a salute before he was racing off to one of the smaller ships. It was only seconds before it was up off the floor of the hanger and flying their way. Yoda grinned and gave Anakin a sideway look before he was jumping into the little ship, Mace and Ki-Adi reaching out to try and stop him.

“Leave you for now, I will,” Yoda stated as the ship slowly pulled away. “Take my seat, temporarily, on the clone matter, Skywalker should.” With those as his parting words, he closed the hatched and turned the ship around, soaring out of the hanger.

“What is the meaning of this, Skywalker?” Mace demanded. “Where is he going?”

“I don't know,” Anakin shrugged honestly, trying to shake off the shock of being nominated to temporarily fill Yoda's seat on the council. He hadn't been expecting that. “We had a shared meditation session and he said he need to go somewhere after it was done.” Not the entire truth, perhaps, but it wasn't a lie either.

“You truly have no idea?” Ki-Adi asked.

“It was a strange session, masters,” the young man replied. Wasn't that the truth?

Mace sighed and rubbed the top of his nose. “Wonderful. And he wants you to take his seat on the council.”

Irritation immediately flared up at the words. Why shouldn't he be able to take that seat? Then Anakin focused again on what Qui-Gon had said. He pushed it away, let it bleed out into the Force. He had a lot of work ahead of him it seemed, but he could do this. He could find his center again. “I won't take that seat just because he suggested it. I want you to want me there.”

That made the Korun master pause before he looked over at Master Mundi, who looked just as surprised at the response. Oh, if he was going to get reactions like this for a while, Anakin was all the more willing to listen to Qui-Gon's advice. It was super funny. Mace turned his attention back to him before he stood up straight, arms going behind his back. “A wise answer, Skywalker. We will take the suggestion to the council, but I will admit, you already have my vote. Your focus on this matter is solid.”

Ki-Adi nodded. “Mine as well. The meditation did much good for you, it would seem.”

Anakin crushed the irritation before it could rise up again. Instead, he smiled a little. “You have no idea.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

Three days passed before Anakin heard the decision the council made on whether he would sit in Yoda's seat for the issue with the bio-chips. In fact, he never heard of a vote all. The next thing he knew, his comm was ringing and he answered it to find Mace Windu on the other end.

“Skywalker, are you free?”

_Well, that's different. Asking instead of demanding,_ Anakin thought. “Yeah. What's up?”

“Chief Healer Vokara Che has come across some information that she feels the council needs to know immediately about the bio-chips,” the other man answered.

“So...I am taking Yoda's seat temporarily?” Anakin asked.

“Yes, it was agreed on today,” Mace responded. “For the temporary position, congratulations.”

“Thanks, Master Windu. I'll be there shortly.”

Anakin couldn't help but feel a little giddy as he got dressed in his nicer tunics, the ones he didn't take into battle. Temporary or not, he was going to sit on the Jedi council! Even if it was only regarding this one issue, it was still more than he'd ever expected to have at his age. Or with how the council had treated him in the past. Shaking his head, the young Jedi forced himself to calm down. It was okay to be excited, yes, but he shouldn't let it go to his head. That was exactly the kind of thing Qui-Gon, and his own master for that matter had warned him against many times.

Maybe it was just finally starting to click in his head.

When he entered the council chambers, he wasn't surprised to find most of the chairs filled. There were still two empty seats on the council, not including the one he was temporarily filling. Those in the room watched as he walked in and he stood, almost awkwardly in the center, staring at the chair that had replaced Yoda's. With a deep breath, he walked over to the seat, hoping that he didn't come across as cocky or too confident. This was huge role he was filling for the moment. He had to try and not let it get to his head.

But, why shouldn't he have a permanent role on the council? Surely he'd done more than enough to prove that he'd earned such a spot! They had to see- Anakin stopped that train of thought as fast as he could. It would lead nowhere. He struggled with his mind, seeking the light of the Force as he sat down. No, obviously, he was not ready for a seat like this. His emotions still had too much control. Qui-Gon had said as much and the Force still whispered of things he had to learn. Maybe in time, but right now, he would only fill in as he'd been asked.

Sitting back once he was comfortable, a half grin crossing his face as he let out a soft, nervous chuckle. “This is weird.”

Obi-Wan smiled at his former student. “Yes, I imagine so.”

Plo Koon's hologram gave Anakin a patient nod. “Yoda trusted you to take his seat for this issue. There will be a good reason for this, I am sure.”

Smiling, the Nautolan master chuckled, his own hologram shaking slightly. “It is a strange experience though, sitting on the council for the first time.”

Saesee Tiin, however, had a mild frown on his face. “It is only temporary. Do not get used to it.”

With a heavy sigh, Adi gave her follow councilor a small glare. “He is well aware of that, Master Tiin, or he would not be sitting there.”

_I'm guessing he voted that I shouldn't be here?_ Anakin asked Obi-Wan, hoping his thoughts wouldn't broadcast to the other members of the council, that it would stay along their training bond only.

_Yes, he and Shaak Ti. Still, the majority wanted you here,_ his master responded. _I'm personally very happy to see you sitting there._

_Really?_ Anakin blinked, the only sign that he was surprised.

_You still have a lot to learn, but I'm thrilled to see how far you've come from when we first started together,_ Obi-Wan replied, a twinkle in his eyes. _To gain Master Yoda's trust to put you in a seat, even if it is for just this, says a lot._

Sending a burst of gratitude across the bond, Anakin watched as Vokara Che made her way into the room, her expression stern, if not troubled. That didn't bode well. Taking in a deep breath, the young man watched her stop in the middle of the room, sparing a thought that it was so different seeing this from a councilor's seat versus standing somewhere off to the side. He was only glad that Rex wasn't here. He probably wouldn't have been able to keep a straight face if his captain had been there to stare at him.

“You have something to share, Chief Healer?” Ki-Adi asked, starting the meeting.

“Members of the council,” Vokara started, letting her eyes sit just a moment more on Anakin, before she continued, “it is absolutely vital that we start removing those bio-chips immediately.”

A few of the members shared looks with one another, though the Tholothian master kept her eyes on the healer. “Immediately?”

“Yes,” the Twi'lek stated. “In the process of studying these chips, there was a test that I performed, with the acceptance of those involved, that has almost solidified that these things are not to be ignored.”

“What was this test?” Plo Koon asked and no one doubted there would be a frown on his face if he could make one.

“I confirmed with Captain Rex and a few of the clones that this test would be acceptable before it was performed,” Vokara stated, “though I halfway wish now that I had not tried it. A few of the clones agreed to have their bio-chips triggered while still inside of their heads.”

“That was extremely foolish, Vokara,” Shaak Ti frowned. “Depending on your method, it could be considered torture! What were you thinking?”

“As I said, I halfway regret the choice,” the healer reiterated, “but what is done is done and I will accept whatever punishment you have for me later. And it was not done blindly, Master Ti. My aids and I were able to find a specific electric pulse that would trigger the bomb of the chip without injuring the clone or their brain. I also made sure that I was the only one preforming this particular test so the blame falls entirely upon me.”

“We will discuss your actions later, Chief Healer,” Mace stated, though his eyes were stormy. “For now, share with us your results.”

“Yes, Master Windu,” the Twi'lek nodded, resolved and steady. “This test was performed on three of the clone volunteers, the ones who go by the names of Burn, Stamp, and Jesse. I assure you that all three are alive and in great health, but a little shaken by their experience.”

Anakin frowned, angry. The 501st were his clones after all, his men. He wasn't upset that they'd agreed to this form of testing, for he knew that the clones would do whatever they could for the betterment of others, but he was sure he wasn't going to like what he was going to hear next.

Vokara continued. “With each test, I had the volunteer, Captain Rex, and myself in the room, as well as a medical droid. After triggering the bomb, I waited to see how each clone would react.” The healer breathed in deeply. “Each and every one of them, councilors, shared the same symptoms that were described of trooper Tup's actions. They became disoriented, kept repeating the same phrase, and when I was in their sight...they tried to attack me.”

Saesee Tiin frowned. “Just you? Not Captain Rex?”

Nodding, the Twi'lek shuddered. It was rare for Anakin to see the healer visibly shaken. “Yes. There was...solid determination in their eyes, unlike anything I've ever seen. There was something else I heard from each of them just before they attacked and I was glad that I recorded each test. I did not want to believe what I heard.”

Adi was frowning heavily, sitting back in her seat. “Will you show us one of these recordings?”

Obi-Wan glanced at Anakin, concern drifting through their bond. “I'm not sure that's wise.”

Shaking his head, the young man leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees. “No, go ahead and play it. I need to see this with my own eyes. See if things...play out like they did before.”

When none of the others offered a protest, Vokara darkened the windows to the room and slipped a disk into a portable hologram device that she'd brought with her. A table rose up from the center of the floor for her to place the image on and she pressed play before stepping back. Each of the councilor's made themselves comfortable as the video unfolded.

The video started in a small room, Vokara Che standing to one side, Captain Rex to the other. He held a hand blaster in one hand, though a quick confirmation in the video from the healer assured the council members that it was a training weapon only meant to stun. A medical chair with straps sat in the center, a medical droid floating just behind it. There was a single light in the room, shining over the chair. The door opened to reveal Jesse walking in, the clone saluting his superior before greeting the healer politely.

“ _Thank you for coming, trooper,”_ Vokara said, though her voice was subdued. _“You are the third participant of this test and I want to make it absolutely clear that you do not have to continue on if you have any doubt. Are you still willing?”_

“ _If I can help uncover this mystery, Chief Healer Che, then I will gladly give my life,”_ Jesse stated, standing tall.

“ _I doubt it will come to that. Would you like a moment alone with your captain nonetheless before we begin?”_ the Twi'lek asked.

Jesse shared a look with Rex before he shook his head. _“No, I am ready.”_

Motioning to the chair in the room, Vokara walked over to it with the clone. _“Are you against being strapped down? I'm afraid that it is necessary for not only our safety, but yours as well.”_

Without any hesitation, Jesse got in the chair and sat back, shaking his head. _“Do what you need to, ma'am.”_

Once he was secure, Vokara could be seen holding her hand over his forehead, probably helping him stay calm as she instructed the medical droid to bring her something. It looked like a little taser and she confirmed, one more time, that Jesse was willing, before she placed the device next to his head. The clone jumped a little as a shock was pushed through his head. Rex could be seen tensing slightly in his spot, his face in a frown, as Vokara stepped back from the chair. They did not have to wait for long.

Jesse seemed fine at first, but then he started blinking, twisting his head as if confused or in slight pain. Then when Rex asked him if he was alright, Jesse started to mutter the phrase 'Good soldiers follow orders' over and over and over. His eyes were dancing back and forth, never focused in one spot. Rex came to stand by his side, but nothing happened. When Vokara motioned for the droid to move within sight, it also brought about no changes. The mumbles were disturbing and a few of the council members shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

When Vokara then stepped into the light around the chair, Jesse's countenance changed. His eyes focused on the healer, his face tightening with determination even as he was muttering the same phrase. The next words he spoke, though nearly whispered, chilled Anakin to his core.

“ _Kill...the Jedi.”_ Suddenly Jesse lunged, struggling against his restraints, completely focused on the Twi'lek. Rex had lifted his gun, but hadn't fired, his eyes hard and sad all at once. The medic droid immediately moved into play, injecting Jesse with a relaxer, though the clone screamed in anger before he fell limp against the chair. Vokara moved immediately after, pressing a hand against Jesse's chest and forehead before instructing the medic droid to remove the bio-chip, it was done in short order, though Jesse flat-lined for a few seconds.

Once he was steady, the healer stepped away from the chair, obviously shaken. She closed her eyes and shook her head, before turning her attention to Rex. _“Please forgive me, Captain Rex, for putting you and your men through this. I never would have expected...”_

Rex was quiet before he spoke, his voice softer than Anakin had ever heard it. _“Chief Healer Che, if you can save my brothers and the Jedi...this will be worth it. We all believe that.”_

The video ended and Vokara pulled the disk from the player, returning the windows back to their normal state. She was silent, obviously letting the image they'd seen speak for her. Anakin had to close his eyes to center on his emotions. There was anger, shock, sadness. He tried to pin them down, but as soon as he turned his attention to another, the other two would escape his grasp. With little effort, he connected to the Force, asking for help, only to find a rush of power flood through his mind and remove the conflicting emotions.

He was still upset over what those three clones had gone through, but he was calmer now. Enough that he could be apart of this meeting without exploding in a rage.

“This is indeed troubling,” Mace sighed, breaking the silence. “All three of the clones had the same response?”

“Yes, Master Windu,” Vokara answered, swallowing thickly. “Captain Rex can also confirm what he heard and saw if you need it.”

“This is indeed a grave matter,” Ki-Adi said, his eyes staring at the floor. “We can not keep the Jedi with the clones any longer.”

“But we can't just pull out of this war, either,” Adi argued. “It would be devastating to the Republic forces, maybe even cause them to lose the war.”

“Maybe we don't need to pull out,” Anakin stated, pushing aside any hesitation he had before he continued. “Maybe, as ridiculous as it sounds, we should just remove the chips.”

Saesee frowned at the young man. “Do you even know what you are saying? There are millions of clones out there.”

Anakin nodded. “I know, but as Master Gallia said, we can't just disappear from the front lines. There would be a serious drop in morale. It doesn't feel right, either. Our only other option is removing those chips.”

Obi-Wan looked at Anakin. “Do you have an idea about how to go about this?”

Why his former master had turned to him, Anakin couldn’t say, but he wasn't going to pass up this chance. Closing his eyes, he focused on the Force. It gave him vague hints and whispers, but nothing concrete. However, in short order his mind had put things together. Funny, he couldn’t remember the last time it had been that easy. “The droids. We can send out hundreds of those medical droids. How long does it take to remove a bio-chip?”

Vokara let her hands rest behind her. “Five minutes, at the most. Most of the clones were back on their feet in under twenty minutes.”

“If you had more than ten of those droids out in one sector, you could easily get to about twenty thousand clones in a week,” Anakin stated.

“Then let's increase that,” Mace suggested. “If we had twenty medical droids in each sector, that number gets doubled.”

“It would take just over six months to cover one million clones with that group,” Saesee frowned. “That still takes too long.”

“Why not have multiple parties then?” Obi-Wan countered, locking eyes with Anakin. “Like Anakin suggested, having hundreds out there would get the job done faster. It would mean either buying more of the medical droids or calling them in from some of the other temples, but it is possible to have this problem taken care of in under a half year.”

“Chief Healer,” Anakin asked, turning his attention towards the Twi'lek, “there's something else I'd like to ask. Jesse...nearly died in that video for a few seconds. Did all of my-, no sorry. Did all of the clones do the same?”

“Just those who went through that last test,” Vokara answered. “I studied the scanner readouts after each removal and only those who struggled against the removal of the inhibitor chip had a serious threat of dying. The clone's mind has to be willing to release this chip.”

“How many healers can you spare?” the young man asked after a moment of silence. Was he moving too fast for the others to follow?

Adi's face, however, suddenly split into a wide grin. “Oh, well played, Knight Skywalker. That's a brilliant idea!”

Shaak Ti was smiling too. “Indeed. A well thought plan.”

With a frown, Ki-Adi looked between the other two councilors. “I'm afraid I do not understand it. Would you care to explain?”

Anakin nodded when it was clear the other two masters were going to let him do the explaining. “Sending out medical droids to remove these bio-chips would do the job, but there isn't a guarantee they'll do the job quickly without someone giving them commands or that we can guarantee any sort of survival with the clones. While we could leave that up to the military leaders, they already have their hands full with the battles in front of them. If we send out a healer with the droids, then we have someone to give the droids their orders and also be there if something should go wrong with a removal.”

Mace was quiet before he let out a light sigh, closing his eyes. He was silent for a moment more before he opened his eyes and nodded. “This would seem to be the best option, unless anyone else has one they'd like to contribute.”

“No, I believe we all feel that this is the action the Force is guiding us to,” Obi-Wan stated. “There are a few things on the side concerning this that do need to be taken care of, however.”

“Such as?” Kit ask, his large eyes focusing on Master Kenobi.

“The Kaminoans, for one,” Shaak stated, “and they're knowledge on these bio-chips."

“The actions of our Chief Healer,” Adi added.

“Yes, and other issues that we can not let those other than council members discuss,” Saesee stated, looking quite disgruntled.

“I am agreed with Master Tiin on this,” Ki-Adi added, though he did look a little remorseful when his eyes fell upon Anakin.

Mace let his shoulders slump slightly before he turned to Anakin. “Can I leave you with the task of helping Healer Vokara know how many teams she needs to put together?”

Nodding his head, the young man got to his feet. While he still felt a tiny bit of hostility from the Iktochi master, which in turn irritated him, he bowed respectfully to the council. He could be polite. He could prove the council (or certain members of it) wrong. “Of course, Master Windu. I'll get that done right away. Thank you, for allowing me to take Yoda's seat.”

“It was our pleasure, Knight Skywalker,” Adi nodded, giving him a half grin.

“Yes, your insight was most helpful,” Plo Koon said. “May the Force be with you, Skywalker.”

Anakin nodded his head once again. “As with you, Master Koon. Council members.” He turned and walked over to Vokara, who was looking less like she'd stared death in the face and more like a woman resolved to deal with what came her way. As the council room doors opened to let them out, he began to calculate the necessary amount of medical droids and healers needed for what was ahead. He listened as the doors to the council room started to close and for once it didn't sound ominous or foreboding.

Maybe...just maybe, everything would work out for once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really liked the arc of Yoda's travels to Dagobah and beyond and wanted to keep it canon. So, it happens sooner instead of later in this story and that's where he's going. He is gone for a long time. I've been using the website below to calculate times/distances between the places that everyone visits, so they don't some how make it across the galaxy in half a day like it appears in the movies sometimes. Anyway, that's where Yoda's going and almost everything that happens in that arc stays true for this fic. Thanks!
> 
> www.starwars-chronicles.com/Hyperspace_Travel_Time.htm


	6. Safe House

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...yeah, remember how I said I'd be busy? I did not expect life to take the turns that it has. I apologize only for the fact that I let Final Fantasy XV take over my life for a couple months. ahaha....
> 
> I haven't given up on this story at all! I had just drowned in the world of FF for a while and couldn't get my mind to even think about any of the other fandoms I'm a part of. I do apologize for that and I hope you'll all forgive me for the lack of updates.
> 
> So here's the next chapter! I hope you all will enjoy it! This was a fun one to write for me and came out very, very easily onto the 'page' so to speak. haha

Two days after a decision had been made about the chips and one day after the first group of healers had left with their medic droids, Anakin found himself wandering outside of the temple grounds. The temple had prepared all the medic droids they'd had on hand and five teams had been sent out. It wasn't a lot, but Anakin honestly hadn't expected them to get more than three teams, so five was spectacular. More droids had been ordered by the temple, with other temples sending what they felt they could to Coruscant to be managed in other teams.

This was all being done, of course, in complete secrecy. The healers had been informed that what they were doing was to be shared with the commanding officers of each area only when they got there. Five had been notified of the arrivals and that they were to accept them, but it was the healer's job to explain why they were there. They wanted to keep this as under the public radar as possible. Someone out there wanted the Jedi Order gone. If they thought their plan was still on schedule, there would be no reason not to let them know otherwise.

If there was one decision he was still torn on made by the council is that they were not going to inform the Chancellor of what they were doing unless it was absolutely necessary. If he found out and asked about it, they could claim that it had become a Jedi matter, along with all the evidence of what a ruined bio-chip would do to the nearest Jedi. Hell, who knew if it would end with just the Jedi. What if anyone who was force sensitive became a target? Anakin frowned at the thought. No one deserved that, no matter how strong or weak their connection with the Force was.

Still, he didn't like keeping secrets from someone he considered a friend. But surely his researchers had made some progress on the bio-chips they'd kept by now. It had been almost a week. Jedi healer or not, Vokara's meager team had discovered plenty of info on the chips in a single day. Surely a full team of scientist could come up with more answers. If so, why hadn't the council heard anything? Even if they didn't officially share it with him, Obi-Wan would have kept him up to date.

Or was Chancellor Palpatine even having the bio-chips studied? If he was involved, if he was part of a plot against the Jedi, he wouldn't necessarily be putting any effort into finding out the truth of the chips, would he? He would already know. Anakin frowned. Why? Why would he want to eliminate the Jedi? It simply didn't make sense. The unrest from civilians on Coruscant about the Jedi wasn't unknown to him, but certainly it didn't demand for them to be killed, did it? And while he might want to pretend that the Chancellor was being tricked, he knew otherwise.

Chancellor Palpatine wouldn't be Chancellor if he was that easy to fool.

“Ugh, this makes no sense,” Anakin growled, rubbing the temples of his head.

There was one thing he had to do still. Something he had to follow through with. He had two soldiers waiting in the underworld for him, for help. It was about time he did something about it. They were, for the most part, innocent. They would also be key witnesses in any trial in the future should they find who was at fault for this conspiracy. While the Jedi council might not be concerned as to their survival, he was. Fugitives or not, he had to find them a safer place to hide than an abandoned building in the sub-levels of Coruscant.

And he had an idea of just how to do that.

~*~*~*~*~*~

“Knight Skywalker? What are you doing here?”

Padmé stared at her husband's lopsided grin and kind of fell in love. All over again. She really should just rub it off his face, the smug jerk.

“May I come in, Senator Amidala?”

“Yes, of course, how rude of me,” the senator replied, standing aside and letting the Jedi into her quarters. Sometimes the game they played for the public eye really wasn't all that bad.

As soon as the door was closed behind her, Anakin pulled her from behind and held her close, pressing a small kiss against her cheek. Really, now, that was unexpected. Her husband was not shy with affection, no, but it usually wasn't accompanied by such a rush of feeling. Almost as soon as he had kissed her, he let her go, wandering further into her quarters. Confused, Padmé almost wondered if there was an impersonator standing before her. It was impossible though. She just knew the feel of her Ani's aura.

“What's gotten into you?” she asked, struggling to keep a straight face.

“I...I don't know honestly,” he answered, though there was a grin on his face that wasn't going away. “I haven't felt this...happy in a long time.”

“Did something good happen at the temple?” Padmé asked. She'd learned quickly not to guess why with her profession. It could lead to political disaster.

“Kind of,” Anakin replied, flopping down on her couch. “It's...really complicated, but somehow, even with all that's happening, I'm just...happy.” He gave her a dashing smile. “Part of that will always be that I get to come see you.”

“Flatterer,” she teased, moving to sit down by him, smiling when his arm moved to wrap around her shoulders. “Can you tell me anything? Completely in secret, of course.”

Anakin snorted. “Of course. I wish I could tell you, but things are at a spot right now that...well, it's probably best to keep it at the temple for now.” His comment was followed by a heavy sigh, one that usually meant he was going to bring up something that wasn't going to be very pleasant.

Padmé lifted her head, tilting it slightly. “What's wrong, Ani?”

For a moment, he just stared at her, his blue eyes almost glowing. She melted a little when he lifted a hand to cup her face, stroking her cheek with his thumb. “I...want to tell you, but...I'm afraid of putting you in danger.”

She barely withheld a sigh. “We've been over this.”

Anakin shook his head. “I know, but this...Padmé, this could easily get you arrested and taken to one of the darkest cells the Republic has and no one would be able to fight against it.”

That gave her some pause. It was that delicate? Still, she knew how to keep secrets. She was no stranger to that. “Do you trust me?”

“You know I do.”

“Then you can tell me. I have friends in the senate and I'm sure that even the Chancellor would speak up for me if it was right.”

“That's part of the problem, right there.”

“What do you mean?”

Anakin stared at her for a moment before he groaned and let his head fall back on the couch. “I can't believe I'm...no, I trust you. I love you. It...It'll be for the best.”

Padmé couldn't help but be a little more concerned now. Her husband had never hesitated this much in telling her something about the Jedi. Still, she waited patiently, waiting for him to speak.

With a deep breath in, he looked at her, his eyes serious. “The Jedi council has uncovered a conspiracy plot that threatens to destroy the Order.”

“What?” That wasn't something she could believe. “Is it that serious? Surely there have been other plans before.”

“Yeah, but not on this level,” Anakin argued. “Look, I can't give you details. Right now, the less you know, the better, but I need your help with something. Are you willing?”

“That depends, Ani, you know that,” Padmé responded, though she'd already decided that she was. “Go on.”

“I need you to take a couple of my clones as your bodyguards for a while.”

“A couple of your clones? As bodyguards? You know, I already have more than enough. Why do I need more?”

“This isn't entirely for your sake, though I would feel better knowing they're watching you. It's mostly for theirs.”

“For their sake?” Padmé was very confused. Why would two clones need help in the form of being two of her bodyguards? “I don't understand.”

Anakin fidgeted on the couch. Anakin didn't fidget. This was more serious that she thought. “You...heard about what happened almost a week ago, right? With the Chancellor?”

A week ago? There was so much going on in the Senate that she didn't really rememb- Oh yes, she did. Two clones had tried to kill him. How could she forget about that? Wait...two clones? Her eyes widened. “Y-You want to...Anakin, they're assassins!”

Shaking his head, her husband placed his hands on her shoulders. “No, Padmé. They're not. They were framed. I...I can't prove it right now, but I do know that they are extremely important to the Jedi. I need them to stay alive.”

Now she was really confused. “But why? Why do you need them alive?” Let it never be said that Padmé Amidala was not a smart woman. It took her only a few minutes to connect the pieces. “The Chancellor...do you think he's...”

Anakin sighed. “I..I don't know, yet. Honestly, I'm...really confused, but there are things that...are leading me to think so.” With a heavy breath, the Jedi let his hands fall. “This was why I hesitated telling you. Now I'm kind of wishing I hadn't.”

“Why would he be plotting against the Jedi?” Padmé asked. “There has been unrest with the public, but not to that extent.”

“I really don't know. None of us do. At the moment, we're focused on taking care of the threat until it's manageable.”

“I can't believe it's that bad. You don't have any proof, yet, of who's fully behind it?”

“No, and I've made way too many rash decisions lately,” Anakin said, Ahsoka flashing through his mind. “This needs to be thorough.” With a sigh, he relaxed into the couch. “I hate asking you for this, Padmé. If you get caught with them...they'll say you were the one who tried to kill the Chancellor. Augh, you know what? Forget it. I'm not doing that to you.”

“Stop, Ani. It's true,” Padmé stated, “that if I hide these clones for you, I could very easily lose my job...and my life. But you know where my loyalties lie. They will always be to the Republic and your Order is part of that. If there's a threat that I can help you fight against, I will. I like Chancellor Palpatine, but if he's plotting to hurt any of the Jedi, I won't stand for it.”

For a moment, he only stared at her, almost as if he was testing her resolve. Finally, he let out a half smile. “It's got nothing to do with the fact that I'm there, right?”

Padmé didn't smile, though her eyes were shining. “Of course not.”

Anakin let out a soft chuckle, reaching out and pulling her close, situating her til she was sitting between his legs, her head on his chest, his head on hers. “I love you.”

The words made her smile and the senator closed her eyes peacefully. “I love you, too.”

“A-Are you sure about this, Padmé? If you have any hesitation-”

“Anakin, I said I would do it, so I'm going to. You'll have to figure out a way to get them past security scans though without them scanning the clone bar codes, though.”

“I...didn't even think about that. I bet I can figure something out. Would it be odd for you to be guarded by masked bodyguards?”

“All I have to tell anyone is that my people were concerned for my safety,” Padmé sighed. “Now stop. This is a rare chance and I do not want to discuss politics or military business.”

“What would you rather talk about then? That's all I've got at the moment,” her husband mumbled, though his eyes showed that he knew the game.

“Oh, I believe you can think of something,” Padmé purred, tilting her head to press a kiss under his chin before adding a soft nip. “Am I giving you ideas?”

“Plenty,” Anakin growled, scooping her into his arms as he stood up at the same time. She squeaked in surprise, but only started to laugh as he carried her towards the bedroom.

Later, Anakin would bless the Force that there wasn't a curfew for Jedi and that no one would question where he was during the night.

~*~*~*~*~*~

The next evening, Anakin sent Rex a message, informing him of what he'd worked out for Fives and Tup. His captain was eager to help, but knew that they would garner too much attention if they went together. Instead, he decided to stay with the rest of the 501st, to keep them distracted and make sure that as many stayed as he could keep an eye on. He did send the Jedi the last known coordinates of the two fugitives with a simple message of good luck attached to it. The last anyone had seen of Fives or Tup had been three days ago. Anakin hoped he wasn't too late.

Once in the lower levels of Coruscant, he found an alleyway that was quieter than the street and he closed his eyes, hoping the Force would give him a little guidance with this. Perhaps he'd been relying on the Force a lot these past few days, but it just felt so nice when he did. It responded to him eagerly, showing him what direction he should go. Double checking Rex's coordinates, he found that he was being pushed in the same direction. With that he set off, hoping it wouldn't take him long.

His search ended in front of an old apartment building. It wasn't abandoned, but it wasn't exactly being taken care of either. A few of the lights were on and he knew that his clones wouldn't be in any of those rooms. They wouldn't want to announce that someone was home and it was easier to get the drop on someone breaking in to your rooms in the dark. Making a quick note of which rooms were unlit, he made his way inside, not surprised to find the front desk empty and there was no rush for someone to get there.

The first room was completely empty, the second lived in, but not by Fives and Tup. The third door was actually locked and the sound of a pet of some kind on the other side of the door dissuaded him from even forcing himself in. Fives and Tup would not have gotten a pet of any kind while they were hiding. The fourth door was unlocked, more like broken, and Anakin slowly made a step inside. It was eerily quiet, but the room was lived in. It had the bare essentials. Was this it? Was this where his clones were?

“Fives?” he called out softly. “Tup?”

“General Skywalker?”

A soft light filled the room and Tup's face peeked out from what Anakin guessed was the bedroom of this apartment. He let out a soft breath of relief, quietly walking over to the scruffy looking clone. “Tup. Glad to see you're alive. Where's Fives?”

Tup let out a breath, looking towards the center of the bedroom. “We...had a run in with some of the Coruscant guard today, sir. He was patching himself up before we were going to make a move.”

Anakin set a hand on Tup's shoulder and grinned at him. “Let's go have a quick chat.”

Fives' wound, a skimmed shot at his waist, was superficial, but the Jedi double checked it just to make sure that it wouldn't become anything worse. Once he was sure that it would be fine, he helped Fives finish patching up and then sat both of the clones down. They didn't have a lot of time, but he did tell them what had happened with the council and the studies of the Jedi healers. It was good to see hope spring up in their eyes as he finished, but the Force whispered of approaching danger. He helped them gather the few things they had with them, making sure not to leave anything behind that could be traced back to the clones at the bunker.

They slipped out of the window once Anakin had made sure that the way was clear, crawling down the nearby rails. Making their way through the alley ways, the Jedi made sure that they weren't being followed, instructing Fives and Tup to put on their helmets as they got closer to where they'd catch his transport. When they expressed concern that it might give them away, he assured them that the only ones who would know their personal decorations immediately would be anyone from the 501st. Chances of running into one of them down here was slim.

Just as he said, they made it topside easily and Anakin made them switch transports as soon as they could, boarding the one that would take them to the buildings that housed people who wanted secured privacy, senators and celebrities alike.

“Sir, where are we going?” Fives asked, his voice as low as he could keep it while still being heard.

“It's a surprise,” Anakin replied with a small grin. “You'll just have to trust me.”

The trek to Padmé's rooms were completely uneventful, no one even glancing at the Jedi and his two clone escorts, for those who were out. C-3P0 was waiting for them at the door, obviously having been informed that they were going to be receiving guests. He was quite happy to see his master and happily opened the doors wide for them. Anakin motioned for Tup and Fives to step inside, doing his best to hide a grin as the door closed with a quiet hiss. The less obvious their actions were, the less likely people were going to remember them.

The clones followed their general into the central room, the windows darkened to keep out the bright lights of Coruscant's never ending traffic and also to give some of the Republic's most public figures some privacy. Anakin motioned for them to stay standing near the entrance as he walked further in. To their surprise, Senator Amidala made her way out of a different room, clearly dressed in more casual clothing. She smiled as she approached them, stopping gracefully at the Jedi's side, like it had been practiced.

“Take off your helmets,” Anakin said. “You won't need them here.”

Fives and Tup looked at each other. “But...sir...”

The Jedi crossed his arms, though his stance was relaxed. “Trust me.”

Slowly, the two clones pulled of their helmets, sharing a nervous look with one another before moving to stand tall. The senator looked at them for a moment, tilting her head, before she looked over at the Jedi. After their initial shock, Fives wasn't surprised to find their general working with her. She'd been there to help them several times in the past and many of the veteran soldiers had their suspicions about the two. As far as Fives was concerned, this was as good as General Skywalker telling him himself about a relationship between them.

“You were right. They don't feel like assassins.”

“Told you.”

“Sir, do you mind telling us what's going on?” Fives asked, almost more confused than he had been in the past week. The chip issue was still fresh in his mind.

“After you two get cleaned up,” Padmé insisted, stepping forward. “I'm sure you both would like that.”

“Actually, ma'am, I'd rather be killed in my armor than naked in the 'fresher,” Tup said, looking slightly embarrassed when he finished. “Uh, I mean....sorry, senator... I-”

Placing her hands on her hips, Senator Amidala let out a sharp huff. “Really, Knight Skywalker, did you tell them anything?”

Anakin was fighting a grin. “No, I did not.”

Groaning a little, she turned to send the Jedi a mild glare. “Sometimes I really don't like dealing with you.”

The clones watched as their general's battle against grinning failed. “You don't mean that.”

“I do,” Padmé insisted. “Now, I will say this once to both of you. You are in no way here to die. Go get cleaned up. I may be a senator, but I am not averse to telling you that you smell.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

Once cleaned up and in some clothes that had been brought for them by the gold droid, Fives and Tup found themselves sitting on Senator Amidala's couch, Padmé explaining to them what she and Anakin had discussed the night before. When she was finished, Fives started shaking his head.

“Sir, this is too dangerous. What if we-”

“It's no more dangerous for you here than it is in the underworld,” Anakin interrupted. “They're expecting to find you down there as that is where most of Coruscant's criminals go.”

“Not for us, sir,” Tup corrected. “For the senator. If she gets caught housing us...”

“We discussed all of this last night,” Padmé stated, moving to kneel in front of the two clones. “I am well aware of what I am getting into. If it means protecting the Republic, then I will gladly do so.”

“Please, senator, don't kneel in front of us,” Fives said, clearly uncomfortable and trying to get the woman back on her feet. “We're just clones.”

“No, to me, you are members of the Republic,” Padmé argued, placing one of her hands gently on one each of the clones'. “I will gladly stand for that.”

Tup blinked, his eyes dancing back and forth between his covered hand and his general, occasionally jumping to Senator Amidala. “Are you sure you want us, senator? As bodyguards, I mean.”

Fives nodded. “You could store us in one of your rooms honestly.”

Padmé laughed. “Don't be silly. Who wouldn't want bodyguards with the expertise you two have? You'll know what to expect where others wouldn't. I'm actually hoping you'll train my other bodyguards a bit.”

Grinning, Anakin stepped forward. “This isn't permanent, guys. Once we work out the details of who is behind all of this and who's connected, we'll clear your names, one way or another.”

Watching Fives' shoulders relax was enough of a sign to both Senator and Jedi that they'd finally convinced him of his safety. “Thank you, sir.”

Tup agreed. “Yes, thank you. I'd...like to rejoin the rest of our brothers.”

“You'll get to,” the Jedi said. “I'm going to do what I can to make sure of that.”

“There's a reason you're the best, general Skywalker,” Fives smiled. “Once you set your mind to something, you're unstoppable.”

“If any of you need anything,” Anakin stated, pulling something from his belt, “contact me on this encrypted comm. I will come as fast as I can. Fives, Tup, your comms will also act as a scrambler for your clone bar codes. Keep them on you at all times. You'll be able to go just about anywhere with them.”

“Yes, sir,” Fives and Tup said together, accepting the comms without question.

“You managed to figure out away to protect their identities quickly,” the senator stated, blinking in surprise.

“I'm told I'm a mechanical wizard of sorts,” the Jedi grinned.

“Is this really necessary?” Padmé asked, though she accepted hers too without a real protest.

“You are taking a great risk for these men, senator,” Anakin replied. “I'm not taking any chances in case things go wrong. She's in your hands, Fives and Tup. Don't let me down.”

Standing up, the two clones saluted, watching as their general bowed politely to the senator before he left. When Padmé turned back to face them, she had bright grin on her face.

“Alright, gentlemen, let's lay down some rules.”


	7. Introductions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have not abandoned this story. I really haven't. However, in the months that have passed since I last updated, I've started a new job, went apartment hunting, moved, and have overall had to get back into a rhythm or routine that I'm comfortable with. For those of you who have waited and understand, thank you. Thank you so much for sticking with me. I know I've not been very consistent with updating. I'm hoping to get better at it.
> 
> I won't lie. I'm a little nervous about sharing this next chapter as it contains my Star Wars OCs. I really hope you'll like them. As always, feedback and thoughts are appreciated. I hope to get back into a regular updating schedule so the story continues to move. Once again, for those of you who take the time to read, thank you. You have no idea how much it fuels me to keep writing!

Space travel had never been one of Avin's favorite things. It wasn't that he didn't have plenty to keep him busy. With reviewing his task and what it required to make sure that his group of 20 medical droids remained inactive or weren't tampered with, he was definitely kept busy. However, after four days of reading over the information he'd been given and repeating the same checks, he was very much ready to get off of this ship. Not that he let it show. To anyone who came his way, he was as serene as when they'd left.

The captain's voice suddenly came over the sound system. _“Attention all passengers. We are about to land on Yaga Minor. Please make sure that you have all of your personal belongings as this is our last stop and the ship will be emptied in preparation for the return trip. In the next twenty minutes, if you would please return to...”_

Tuning out the rest of the words, the Jedi healer turned to check his small pack. There wasn't much that he'd needed to bring that the Republic ships wouldn't be able to supply him with and once he was sure they were all in their proper place, he turned his final attention to his weapons. Healer or not, a lightsaber was a Jedi-must and his training to be a Knight was always something he was grateful he had. He was very much of a firm mindset that a healer who could protect their patients instead of hiding behind them was better.

Once he was satisfied with his lightsaber, he hooked it to his belt before turning to check his Tehk'la blades. A gift from his father just before he'd been taken to the Temple on Coruscant, they were just as important to him as his lightsaber was. They'd been living on Terminus at the time, though he hadn't even really known why. He knew his heritage, at least that of his father. He was half Nagai, a race from a world that wasn't even apart of what was considered charted space. But he'd been raised to understand the pride and honor his father's people had.

His mother had been human, but she hadn't wanted the responsibility of raising a child and so she'd left them as soon as he was able to feed from a bottle. At least, that's what his father had told him and as a child, he'd never questioned it. Even now, he had no real desire to seek the woman out. As a hybrid, his father had warned him that there would be those who would look down on him, as if he were something inferior. He'd then been taught to ignore their looks and to stand tall, as no Nagai, or half Nagai in his case, should let it get to them.

It had been a hard concept to really put into play as a child, even being raised by a bunch of Jedi in the Temple. He'd been teased by a few of the other children and when outside, it must have been apparent to those around him that he was different for many of the merchants or people walking by would give him odd looks. He hadn't wanted anyone knowing how much their thoughts or comments had hurt him or how alone he'd felt amongst the other initiates, who were from worlds within the Republic. Shielding had come very quickly to him, his teachers praising him for hiding thoughts so well in the Force. He'd seen it as a necessity.

As someone who was very in tune with the emotions of others, the hybrid had felt a lot of the anger, of the disgust, from those around him. His crechemates had been easy to ignore as kids. Emotions tended to be fleeting for most children, here one second and gone the next. From a few of his teachers, however, the feelings had been loudly broadcasted at times, to the point that every now and then it would show on their faces. Building shields to block out those emotions and to hide his own reactions to them had saved him a lot of grief, though it still hurt from time to time.

There were only a few that he felt safe letting those shields soften around and he was not around them nearly as much as he would have liked.

Shaking his head from the reverie, Avin made sure his blades were cleaned and sharpened before he pushed back his sleeves and slipped them into the custom sheaths strapped to his arm. Being trained in the Force had come in handy with his knives as he hadn't needed to make a trigger of any kind in the sheaths to pull them out. The knives had been a source of conflict since the time he'd entered the creche, but it had been one thing he'd refused to let go. They were the only physical thing he had of his father, who had died just shortly before he'd become a padawan.

Died in a fight against another Nagai who had claimed that he'd had no honor. There was no comfort in knowing that his father had won that battle, but the wounds he'd suffered had killed him. A completion, perhaps, but no comfort.

With his things gathered, the healer double checked his deactivated droids, again making sure there was no sabotage, before returning to the part of the ship where the passengers would sit for re-entry. Knight Skywalker had been very strict in his orders of making sure that all twenty droids arrived to their destination safely and in the condition that they'd left in. It was vital to the war effort as well as the Jedi Order. Avin didn't need to be told more than that, though he was slightly curious as to how removing this bio-chip from the clones would change all that.

He was one of the first to be seated in the landing seats and he watched vaguely from where he sat as others moved to take a chair here and there. A mother and her two children soon followed, the older one chattering away happily as she was gently prodded along by her mother, who was looking for a place to sit. A few of the other passengers were giving the girl an exasperated look, as if they were wondering why they had to deal with a child. When her eyes landed on Avin, she stopped talking as her eyes lit up with excitement.

“Are you a Jedi?”

The question had practically been shouted, the girl's mother shushing her quickly as her eyes darted up to look at him. Avin, in turn, gave the child a patient smile, the one smile he'd learned wouldn't frighten anyone away. There were two seats next to him and he'd much rather sit next to a child than another adult. He'd had his fill of their judging looks in his life. It was part of the reason why he requested to be a healer to the Initiates when he'd passed most of his healer tests. Children didn't judge you off of looks alone. They were taught to do that.

“I am,” he answered gently, ignoring the few looks that remained on him after the little girl's question. Her emotions were bright against his shields, pounding against them almost incessantly. It was hard to not let her joy and excitement creep in and take over his thoughts.

“Mommy, can we sit next to the Jedi?” the little girl asked, bouncing on her feet.

“Honey, he might not-” the woman started, already trying to find different seats.

“It's alright,” Avin stated, motioning to the seats next to him. “Please.”

The little girl giggled as she moved to sit next to him, her mother taking the last seat with a grateful nod, still holding her youngest in her arms. “I'm Vella!”

“It's a pleasure to meet you, Vella,” the hybrid replied, nodding his head. “I'm Avin.”

“You're not like other Jedi, are you?” the girl asked suddenly, tilting her head.

“What makes you say that?” Avin asked, surprised.

“Mmmm, you feel different,” Vella answered. “And your robes are a different color.”

“You're a very perceptive young lady,” the healer stated. He was indeed wearing different colors than most Jedi would (a healer always had a lot of white in their robes), but her comment about how he felt made him pause. What could she feel? What about him made her say that? Was she sensitive to the Force? He lifted his eyes from the girl, turning his attention to the woman at the end of their row.

“She was...tested, when she was younger,” her mother stated, staring lovingly at her oldest. “She came close to being accepted, but apparently she didn't have enough midichlorians.”

“Ah, I see,” Avin responded, turning his attention back to the little girl next to him. She should have been accepted. Her aura in the Force was definitively stronger than a few of the other Initiates in the creche, ones who had been accepted. He wondered if the one who had tested her had done it incorrectly. “You're correct, Vella. I'm a Jedi healer.”

The little girl tilted her head. “A healer?”

With a small nod, the hybrid gave her that safe grin of his. “That's right.”

Vella pondered for a moment, tilting her head in the other direction. “What does a healer do?”

Their re-entry trip was filled with the little girl's chatter and questions, which Avin answered patiently. Most of the time she was telling him stories, though her voice got softer in volume as they went. The healer had been told that he had that effect on children, that while they kept their excitement, their voices somehow got softer as they continued to talk to him. By the time they'd landed, the only ones who could really hear her were himself and her mother, who looked amazed at how quiet her daughter had become.

They parted as soon as they'd exited the ship, Vella waving goodbye until she was completely out of sight. If he had the authority to do it, he might have had her retested, but she seemed happy with her mother and there were other Force sensitive individuals around, ones that had also not passed the midichlorian test, that could teach her not to let her gift get out of control. Besides, the Council would probably decide that she was too old for the creche. Better to let her live the life she'd gotten used to, with the lessons and ideals that she'd been raised with.

As he was collecting his droids from the cargo, Avin saw a clone coming his way. There were yellow-green stripes everywhere on his armor and it made the healer wonder if it had been intentional. He'd been told of clones painting their armor and helmets, but he hadn't seen much of it himself. It looked as if this clone had attacked his armor with a paintbrush, but hadn't really wanted to do anything other than mark it up. The helmet was also painted with single paint strokes, two on the side and a single one over the top. The shape of a dragon's head sat on the right temple of the helmet, though the hybrid wasn't close enough to really make out what kind of dragon it was.

“General T'zoras?”

“I'm no general,” Avin said with a small frown. “I'm a healer.”

“Commander then?” the clone asked.

“That'll be fine,” the healer sighed, though honestly he didn't care for that title either. “Are you comfortable taking off your helmet? I'd rather not talk to a mask.”

“Of course, sir,” the clone responded, doing as he'd been asked. He had a small grin on his face as he held his helmet to his side with his arm, his blaster hanging from his hand. A single black tattoo ran down the center of his head, disappearing into his hair. It mimicked the paintbrush strokes on his armor almost perfectly. “I'm Tone. I've been ordered to pick you up and take you to the command ship.”

“Thank you,” Avin responded, moving to take control of the lift that had the deactivated droids resting on it.

“Please, allow me,” Tone stated, rushing over and taking the handle with his free hand.

Nodding again, the healer allowed the clone to lead him, as he had no idea where to go. “The command ship is not located over Yaga Minor, is it?”

Tone shook his head. “No, sir. It’s currently stationed over the planet Bettok. It's the closest planet to Separatist space. It also acts as a first line of defense for Yaga Minor.”

Avin hummed softly. “Any colonies or natives?”

The clone shook his head again. “None. Though there were plans for there to be some before the war started, I'm told. We currently have a command post stationed on the planet's surface, as well as a small base that's growing as they increase defenses.”

No civilians then. As far as battlefields went, it was one of the best possible places to fight as far as he could tell. “Has there been an attack on the planet yet?”

“No, but we received reports a day ago that the Separatist's forces are planning on one,” Tone answered. “When we reach the command ship, there might be a battle going on. Don't worry, though, I'll be sure to get you and these medical droids to the ship in one piece, sir.”

Well, that would explain why Kit Fisto had been summoned to this sector then. When he'd set out from Coruscant, Avin had been told that an Admiral would greet him. Upon exiting out of hyperspace, he'd received a message to his comm that the Nautolan master was now the one he should turn to if he had questions as he was now in charge of the area, if only temporarily. He'd never met the Jedi councilor, but he'd heard stories of his conquests in the war and a few personal stories from the other healers on what he was like.

Avin wasn't sure whether he'd rather deal with the Master or the Admiral at this point.

The droids were loaded into a small transport ship and Avin hesitantly joined Tone in the cockpit. He wasn't a pilot of any kind. It was one part of his training that he'd struggled with the most as a padawan. The clone assured him that he didn't need to worry about anything when it came to flying the ship, a friendly smile on his face. It would be a short trip through hyperspace between Yaga Minor and Bettok, no more than an hour. Avin had to mentally prepare himself nonetheless. He'd gotten used to having a planet under his feet and was sorely missing it.

Tone relaxed in his seat once they were cruising through hyperspace, though his eyes remained focused on what was ahead. “We'll be there within an hour, sir.”

Nodding his head, Avin sat back in his seat as well, though he found his eyes wandering around the cabin slowly. “I would prefer if you didn't call me sir or commander. Healer T'zoras or Avin will catch my attention faster.”

Chuckling, Tone gave the hybrid a light smile. “I'll try, Healer T'zoras. General Fisto is the same way, you know.”

That caught Avin's attention and he hummed softly. “You've fought with Master Fisto before?”

The clone nodded. “The Aegis Squad goes where he goes, when he's out on the field. We arrived here yesterday with him and he asked me to come pick you up when he received word that you were headed our way.”

“By yourself?” Avin asked. “No one else?”

“He seemed to be under the impression that a single clone would be enough,” Tone smiled. “Said that you Temple healers were sturdier than you appear and that you wouldn't need much help, if any.”

“Hmm.” Not sure what to say to that, the healer fell silent. While he was happy to hear of the council member's opinion of the healers at the Temple, it came across as more empty flattery than an actual compliment to him. However, Avin knew he was cynical and didn't have a lot of trust in adults in general, even amongst the Jedi. Tone, however, he was strangely comfortable with. He wasn't sure why either, but the ease of conversation he had with the clone was almost as easy as it was for him to talk to his Master, or to his closest friends.

When they exited hyperspace, the healer had been expecting to find the preparations for a fight or even a battle going on. Instead they found the debris of at least one Republic cruiser and two Separatist ones. He couldn't stop the little gasp at the flood of emotions that battered against his shields, of the painful amounts of sadness and fear that lingered around the pieces floating in space. His hand immediately flew to his chest, his fingers curling slightly in his robes. He quickly reinforced his shields, trying to block out the pain. He'd _never_ felt anything so strong before.

The residual emotions of thousands was something he'd never experienced. He was wishing he hadn't.

“Healer, are you alright?” Tone was glancing over at him anxiously, though he was also keeping a lookout in front of them.

“I'm fine. I simply wasn't prepared,” Avin replied, taking in a deep breath as the pain lessened to a very dull throb.

“Prepared?” the clone asked, guiding the ship to move below a large chunk of metal.

“I will explain later,” the hybrid answered, moving towards the board of lights in front of him. He may not have been a pilot, but he was well aware of how to bring up a life sign scan, doing so quietly as Tone steered on with a grim face. There were no signs anywhere of any life, not even any single fighters floating around to pick off any survivors of the opposing team. Whatever battle had started in space was no longer there. Perhaps it was continuing on the surface of the planet.

“How long had you been waiting for me at the port?” Avin asked softly, silently wishing that the scan would find someone out there. Jedi or not, this sight was bringing the reality of war sharply into focus, as was the cloud of emotions that felt like it was trying to suffocate him.

“Twenty minutes, at most, sir,” Tone answered. “The Separatists must have attacked shortly after I left.”

Just under two and a half hours. In that amount of time, three cruisers had been destroyed with who knows how many lives going with them. If he wasn't wrong, the size of the Republic cruiser that had been destroyed held at least four thousand people at a time. Chances were that number had been higher. Closing his eyes, the hybrid hoped that those who had died were finding it easy to rejoin with the Force. It was the best he could do on their behalf.

“We've got an incoming ship,” Tone stated, as some of the panels started to light up and blink. “It's coming out of hyperspace.”

“Is it friendly?” the healer asked, concerned. Despite it, he was not getting a warning from the Force or any bad vibes, but there was a chance that his shields were blocking any subtle warning in his attempt to lessen the strength of his empathy.

“I...can't tell,” the clone said with a small frown. “But I sure hope so.”

Just as he'd finished speaking, a Republic cruiser appeared before them, followed by two larger transports. Avin looked over at Tone as the clone let out a short huff of relief and quietly kept to himself that he was feeling the same. The clone immediately made contact with the cruiser, requesting a landing, and sharing the necessary security codes. As Tone got the approval, the hybrid instead closed his eyes and focused on the Force. He felt it nudging, at the back of his mind, and he struggled for a moment to get past all the lingering feelings to hear it. It did not take long to discern what it wanted once he had.

He was needed here, yes, he could feel that. But not...here. Not on either ship.

“Tone, I need to get down to the planet's surface,” the healer stated, face calm as he opened his eyes.

“Sir? To the surface?” the clone asked, clearly confused.

“Yes,” Avin nodded, choosing not to correct the slip of title. There would be other moments to do so, he was sure. “We'll drop off the medical droids on the cruiser, but then we leave afterward.”

“If you say so, Healer T'zoras,” Tone nodded, though his lips were tilted slightly in a grin. The healer wasn't quite sure what he'd said that invoked that kind of reaction, but chose not to dwell on it.

As Tone opened communications to explain what they were doing, Avin left the cockpit and back to where the medical droids were waiting. Once they had docked, he opened the doors and pushed the droids off of the transport, giving strict instructions to the crew that they were to be taken immediately to the medical bay and put on lock down. If anything happened to the droids, there would be serious repercussions. Just as he was finishing his instructions, he was not surprised to find one of the officers on hand coming his way.

“Excuse me, Healer T'zoras, but we've been told you wish to go to planet's surface!”

“That is correct,” Avin replied frowning slightly, his icy blue eyes narrowing.

“But there's a battle going on down there!” the corporal said. “We can't possibly let you go!”

“Corporal, I am a Jedi healer,” Avin stated, his tone frosty. “What exactly does my profession call for?”

“I-, well, healing those who need your help.”

“Precisely,” the healer said.

“But you can't go without some sort of defense,” the corporal argued.

“Corporal, I am a _Jedi_ healer. I have the capability of protecting myself,” Avin frowned, pinning the poor man with a sharp glare. He understood his intent, but the insinuation of a healer being defenseless made the warrior in him want to cry out a challenge. It was very unlike the Jedi he'd been raised to be.

“You won't be averse to at least taking a few more gunships down with you, I hope?”

The healer watched as the admiral of the ship came into view, seeing from his peripheral how the corporal immediately stood at attention and saluted. The Admiral was a tall, large woman, her black hair pulled back into a tight bun and her hazel eyes bright and clear against her nearly ebony skin. Avin nodded his head respectfully towards her, glad that she was not going to try and stop him. “Of course not, Admiral, but I am leaving now.”

With a lopsided grin, the woman nodded. “Yes. These men are ready to leave. We received a call for aid an hour ago.”

The hybrid stood tall in response, bowing his head respectfully in her direction. “Very well. Thank you, Admiral.”

The admiral gave him a small salute. “May the Force be with you, healer.”

Without waiting for further conversation, the healer turned back into the ship, taking a less vital seat. Tone waited only for a few more minutes as a few more clones boarded the ship before he was closing the doors, another clone moving to take the spot the hybrid had left. He watched as they left the docking bay, five gunships following their lead as they headed for the surface of the planet Bettok. A quick scan showed that the air would be breathable. The terrain of where they were headed was both rocky and full of trees. A smart place to hide a command post, but perhaps not the easiest to defend.

Tone opened the comm of the ship, keeping his eyes forward as he brought them through the upper atmosphere of the planet. “Captain Shade, do you read me?”

Avin listened as the line crackled, nothing but static. Tone repeated his call, his expression tight, and waited again, his eyes anxious. Suddenly, the line flared to life and the sounds of a battle filtered in through the line. “Tone?”

“Tabs!” Tone called out, both relieved and concerned all at once. “Where's the captain?”

“Down, but not permanently. Yet,” Tabs responded, a few blaster shots going off quite close to the comm. “Chroma is injured too, but the captain...he needs help, Tone. Bad. We're losing the line and-”

“Calm down, Tabs,” Tone said, avoiding a blast from an anti-ship cannon before he was landing the ship amongst the trees. He looked over at the healer, his eyes hopeful. “Help is on the way. Mark my position. What's your location?”

“About...three klicks from you,” Tabs responded, pausing as a blaster shot sounded near him again. “Towards the giant rock formation that looks like a rancor.”

Avin wasted no time. There were a lot of emotions floating through the air, unchecked and striking at his mind like a hammer. He was grateful for his shielding. He made his way outside of the transport where it had landed, looking around for the landmark. It was an easy one to see and he locked eyes with Tone when the clone came out of the ship, his helmet back on. “I'm going ahead. The rest of you follow as quickly as you can.” Three klicks...he hoped he could help hold out long enough until they arrived at the destination.

Tone nodded. “Yes, sir. Be safe.”

The healer responded in kind before he was drawing on the Force and running towards their destination. Force speed was not a skill Avin used very often, but it was one that all healers were taught to at least practice from time to time. After all, the faster they could get to an injured individual, the sooner they could heal them, especially if the situation was dire. Now was one of those times. He dodged trees and random blaster shots, running straight when he left the edge of forest they'd landed in.

He found the wounded clones and the failing line in no time, slowing down until he was running normally up to their position. The amount of shots had increased immensely and he quickly lowered himself as he made his way over to the group. There were bodies of clones all around him, an image that made his heart sink. There were so many... Two of these bodies were being defended by their comrades. There were his wounded clones. He ducked in a hint from the Force as a shot sang over his head, before finishing his trek. Time to do what he'd been trained to do.

“A Jedi?” one of the clones called out, clearly surprised. “Where-”

“Not now,” Avin said, interrupting him. “Where is Captain Shade?”

“Here, sir,” another clone, possibly Tabs, called out, nodding to the fallen man behind him before raising his blaster again.

“Move aside,” the healer ordered, kneeling at the wounded clone's side. He wasted no time in removing his helmet, letting the Force guide his hand to where the worst wounds would be. There, at the side of his chest, and it wasn't a blaster wound. It was bleeding which meant he'd been hit by shrapnel of some kind. Avin quickly unclasped a few pieces of the captain's armor, setting them behind him before moving one hand to lay on the clone's forehead, the other falling to rest just above the wound. Taking a deep breath in, Avin centered on the Force, closing his eyes in the process.

A risky move to make, on a battlefield, but it was the fastest way to start any sort of healing that would guarantee one's survival.

He felt the Force flow through him, from the ground beneath him, up his back, and down his arms. His fingertips tingled with energy as he felt it flow from him into the wound. It was strange and something he could never fully explain, but he could feel the regeneration of the clone's cells. He could feel the piece of shrapnel inside and with slow movements started to use the Force to pull it out, healing the worst of the wound as he went. It was difficult, yes, but not the hardest thing a healer could attempt.

He felt the captain's head beneath his hand move, followed by a soft groan, and he spoke softly, but loud enough to be heard over the sounds of battle. “Easy, Captain. Stay still.”

Shade stilled before a soft “Sir?” slipped out.

Avin nodded, eyes still closed, though his ears were very much aware of the sounds drawing closer to their position. “Give me a moment more.” The piece of shrapnel was almost out and most of the damage repaired by the Force. The healer wasn't foolish enough to believe that _he_ was the one doing the healing. Just the channel for the energy of the Living Force to do its work. A tiny metal clink on the ground strangely echoed in the Force and announced his success. He felt the wound close enough that he could let medical droids take care of the rest.

“There,” Avin breathed out, letting his hands fall away. “That should do it. It is not fully healed, but it should no longer be a threat to your life. Don't move too swiftly or you might open it.”

“Thank you, sir,” the Captain said, pushing himself up with a grimace. “I'll try to keep myself in one piece until we can get to a medical bay.”

“See that you do,” the healer nodded, leaning to the left as a blaster shot ran straight past him. Things were starting to get more intense. He made his way to the other wounded clone, staying low as he did. A hole in his armor was all Avin needed to see to know what had happened and he hovered a hand over the wounded leg. Nothing deadly serious, from what he could tell, but no doubt painful. He couldn't afford to waste his energy by healing the injury, but he could sooth the pain at least. His skills would be needed today. Saving his energy was in everyone's best interest.

“I don't have time to heal this,” Avin informed the clone, “but I can alleviate your pain.”

“I'm fine, sir,” the clone, Chroma if he remembered hearing right, ground out. He had a tight grip on his blaster, tighter than was probably normal. “Don't worry about me.”

“It's my job to be concerned,” the healer countered, placing both hands over the wound. “Now hold still.” He sent gentle pulses through the Force into the injury, though he kept his eyes open this time. The fighting was drawing closer to their position. They did not have a lot of time. He hoped that Tone and those with him would soon get here. He was a Jedi and he was skilled with a lightsaber, but those skills were not legendary of any kind. When he could feel some of the tension leave the clone's body, Avin left a lingering presence, hoping that it would do the trick.

“Thank you, sir,” Chroma nodded, the grip on his blaster more relaxed and steady. “I appreciate it.”

Avin was about to respond when the Force started to blare alarms in his head and a thunderous amount of anger was beating against his shields constantly. Not enough to break through or induce a headache, but enough to gain his notice. Something worse than battle droids was headed their way. He turned his attention towards the source, wishing that he had a clear image. A fog had rolled in upon his arrival and it was making it hard to see. He felt that there was no danger behind them, in the trees, so if it was necessary, they could retreat.

With slow moments, he placed a hand on his lightsaber, glad he had checked it and his knives back on the transport from Coruscant.

A shadow started to emerge, followed by a mass of others, and its shape was distinct enough that the hybrid knew _exactly_ who was heading their way. He'd seen enough holovid recordings of the other to have no question. He pulled his lightsaber from his belt and turned it on, the bright blue blade extending out behind him. He kept his Tehk'la blades hidden in his sleeves, in case of close combat, which he was almost positive was going to happen. A flutter of nerves was hard to calm, as were his own emotions.

General Grievous probably had that effect on a lot of Jedi.


	8. The Task At Hand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Life still has not settled for me. For those of you still reading, thank you and I am sorry for the lack of consistency with updates. I truly hope to get back into a flow where I can update more regularly. In the meantime, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter.
> 
> Thanks again for your continued support.
> 
> Also, if anyone is curious, I did commission jaegervega from tumblr a while back and they were kind enough to draw my OCs for me, both Avin and my clones! You can find those images in the links below so you have an idea what they look like!
> 
> http://dreamsofaini.tumblr.com/post/147256201780/
> 
> http://dreamsofaini.tumblr.com/post/150211210455/

There was no monologue when Grievous set his eyes on Avin. The healer hadn't been expecting one so he wasn't surprised when the cyborg merely laughed at the sight of him before charging forward. Not wanting to pull the injured clones into the fray, he ran to meet him. His lightsaber clashed with the two Grievous had pulled out in greeting, the sound of it grating on his ears. What was worse, however, was the way the anger had spiked as soon as the Separatist general had laid eyes on him.

It was almost unnatural, the strength of it.

After a few moments of clashing lightsabers, the healer managed to push Grievous back, adding a small push from the Force to give himself a little time. “Do not shoot at him. Destroy the droids first!”

One of the clones shouted from behind him. “But sir-”

“He'll be easier to take down if the droids are taken care of first,” Avin shouted, moving into a defensive position. Grievous was charging forward. “Reinforcements are on the way!”

The scream of lightsabers drowned out whatever response the clones would have made. The hybrid stuck to a defensive position, mostly blocking Grievous' attacks instead of trying to instigate one. If he could remain in front of those wounded clones and their companions, then he would consider himself accomplished. That and he was much better with the defensive forms than the offensive. It was, to his surprise, somewhat baffling the cyborg, who kept calling out to him to try and get him to attack, to pull him away. Avin very quickly decided that he wasn't moving forward.

“You are a coward, Jedi!” Grievous challenged, once again clashing with the healer's lightsaber and putting them in a deadlock. “You don't have the guts to fight me properly!”

“I have no reason,” the hybrid stated, glaring and pushing back just as hard, “to listen to the likes of you.”

“You Jedi are all the same,” the cyborg snarled. “You lack honor!”

Shots were flying left and right of him, the group of clones behind him returning that fire and keeping the droids from getting close to where he and Grievous were standing. With a push and parry, Avin deflected some of those shots before he was once again caught into a deadlock. He was not the most amazing fighter and he could feel himself beginning to tire. Not only was he physically failing, but the sheer amount of escalated emotions from both the clones and the cyborg was making it hard to keep his shields in place. He had never tested his shielding this way and if he didn't think of something soon...

Time suddenly seemed to slow down for a moment and a whisper from the Force told him what needed to be done, no matter how crazy it might appear. Using it as an aid, he moved as fast as all of his training allowed. He released his left hand from his saber, removing the Tehk'la blade from its sheath and into his hand, his fingers tightening around the hilt as he made an underhand stab into one of the cyborg's arms, snapping a couple wires and denting thinner pieces of metal. Grievous shouted in outrage as he stepped back, sparks flying out from his damaged arm. It was superficial, but the fact that the healer had been able to strike and actually damage him had the cyborg furious.

“I don't believe you know the definition of that word,” Avin glowered, expertly spinning his knife til he was holding it in a reverse grip, “or you would know just how wrong you are.”

Almost as if that had been a cue, several clones cleared the treeline behind them, blasters raised and firing at the droids in front of him. Grievous roared and separated his arms, one of them dangling almost sadly from the damage it had received. A third lightsaber was ignited and the hybrid grit his teeth behind his lips. He had struggled against two and his knives, as useful as they were, would not protect him against a lightsaber. Maybe he could knock one of the blades out of Grievous' hands. It was probably the only real hope he had.

Breathing a little more harshly than he'd like, (he really needed to start training with his lightsaber again and work on his shields), Avin moved to a defensive position, his lightsaber in front of him while his blade was held behind him. He wasn't going to last much longer. While the reinforcements were helping to take care of the droids, he doubted that any of them would be able to truly help him unless they were able to entirely wipe out all the army in front of them. The cyborg roared, his anger flared, and he dove for the hybrid with his weapons raised. Avin held his breath and tensed.

Grievous, however, was intercepted by a green lightsaber, the Nautolan master who wielded it holding the cyborg in place before pushing him backwards. “Healer T'zoras, are you alright?”

Avin was stunned for a moment, a little unsure of what had just happened before he minutely shook his head to clear away the surprise. “Yes, Master Fisto. Your timing is more than welcome.”

“No need to be so stiff, healer,” Kit said, and though he couldn't see it, the hybrid was sure he was grinning. “Though I do owe you my thanks for helping my men hold this line. Without it, we might have been over run.”

“I simply did what I could to help those who are injured,” the healer stated, slowly moving to stand. “Would you like me to stay and assist you?”

“Go and do as the Force guides you,” the Nautolan master responded, using the Force to summon the lightsaber Grievous had lost to his hand. “This is not my first time fighting against our dear general.”

Despite the fact that it couldn't be seen, Avin gave the master a nod of his head and turned away from the front lines of the battle, using his lightsaber to block a few shots aimed for his back. He returned to Shade's side, checking on his wound, before helping the clone put on his full armor and helmet. He was a good 10 centimeters shorter than the clones, but with a practiced motion and a little help from the Force, he helped the captain to his feet, slinging an arm over his shoulder. He instructed one of the other nearby clones to do the same for Chroma, to take him back to medicinal tent. He glanced back towards Master Fisto, assured by how well the other Jedi was holding off Grievous, before heading out.

The medic tent was just short of chaos, a single transport running injured clones back to the cruiser hovering above the planet. There were no medic droids on hand and what medics were there were struggling to keep the flow moving while making sure everyone got the attention they needed. They honestly looked relieved to have him there. Avin wasted no time in sending both Shade and Chroma towards the next transport, as they were in no immediate danger of dying, before taking charge of the tent. All healers had been required to take a class to get them ready for combat situations. It was not long before he had smoothed things out and had the tent running efficiently.

Several hours had passed when the healer noticed Kit Fisto walking into the tent. The immediate assumption that the Separatist armies were retreating was a foolish one, though Avin couldn't be sure there was any other reason why the Nautolan master was here. Turning his attention back to the clone in front of him, he did his best to sooth the ache and heal an open wound, letting the Force do its work. The last transport from the cruiser had sent some of its medical droids and it had taken very little instruction to get the machines to do as he wanted.

Still, with as many as they were healing or at least healing enough to get them to the bacta tanks on the cruiser, he was not unaware of just how many lives they'd lost. The thousands in space and then the no doubt hundreds on the battleground on the surface. It made his heart sink, to think that he hadn't been able to save them, and his empathy picked up emotions of sorrow, grief, and pain. All for lost comrades, lost _brothers_. Even though he'd never known what it was like to have siblings, it was hard, keeping all of this pain at bay, in front of the protection of his shields. Letting out a soft breath, the hybrid wondered if his empathy would only ever pick up the negative emotions.

Sometimes, a flood of good feelings would be nice.

“Healer T'zoras.” The Nautolan Master broke through the hybrid's thoughts and the healer watched as he made his way over to where he was working. “You seem to be in your element.”

“I am a healer, Master Fisto,” Avin replied in all seriousness, carefully wrapping the arm of the clone in front of him. It had been broken and while he'd healed most of the damage, the arm still needed to remain in a single position for at least a couple days. “I'm merely glad that I was able to help those here in some way.”

“You've been of great help, I assure you,” Kit smiled, though it wasn't as bright as it could have been. It seemed somewhat forced and if he remembered correctly, Nautolans were able to pick up the emotions of those around them. Perhaps Master Fisto was feeling the same bombardment Avin was, though to a much lesser degree. “Many of these men will live to see another day because of what you've done.”

“He's right, sir,” one of the medic clones said, passing by the two Jedi. “We probably would have lost a lot more of our brothers if it hadn't been for you.”

“Then I am all the more glad that I was assigned to come here,” the healer nodded slowly, allowing a tiny grin to pull at the sides of his mouth. He nodded to the clone in front of him once he was finished, letting one of his brothers lead him to where the latest transport was waiting. “We've stabilized the situation here. If you all feel comfortable with it, I would like to return to the cruiser. I have a few more things I need to prepare for my original task.”

“We're fine here, sir,” another clone medic called out. “We'll call if we absolutely need your help.”

“I will join you, then, if you don't mind,” the Nautolan said, though a tiny frown sat on his face. “I need to get to the _Serenity_ and report to the council that General Grievous has escaped again. I also need to report that you have had an eventful, but safe, arrival.”

The return trip to the cruiser was quiet, something that Avin appreciated. He was beginning to miss the peace of his room back on the Temple. Well, the relative peace. Initiates were an active bunch, but their trouble was rarely anything extremely dangerous. He realized that he missed them and briefly wondered why Chief Healer Che had decided that he be one of five healers sent out on this task. He was skilled, yes, but there were others, in his opinion, who were far better than he was. Regardless of his thoughts, however, the task he'd been given was not one to take lightly.

Knight Skywalker had been very clear to them that this mission of theirs was one of the most important to the war effort.

Back on the _Serenity_ , Avin was formally introduced to the Admiral of the ship. Her name as Jertia Cleearl and she welcomed both him and Master Fisto aboard. When he tried to apologize for his brusk behavior with her before, the Admiral had merely given him a slight grin and said that she had appreciated his frankness. She would have asked him to head down to the planet's surface if he hadn't been so adamant about it. After a few more moments of speaking together, Avin excused himself, letting one of the crew members lead him to a room that had been set aside for him. The ship was in a bit of controlled chaos, now that had become the center of his mission. Admiral Cleearl had apparently been informed of her new task.

There was a project he needed to begin, yes, but first and foremost, the hybrid needed some sleep. From the long trip from Coruscant to a battle on the surface of the planet below them, he was exhausted, both physically and emotionally. He settled onto his bed with ease, spending a few moments to meditate and calm his mind, to strengthen his shields. The lingering emotions had started to disperse, no longer the cloud that he'd first felt upon his arrival to the area. A fog, perhaps, that was slowly fading as time passed.

Remembering why there was such a cloud in the first place, he sent a remorseful thought to the Force in remembrance of those who had died today. He hoped those who were still alive would be able to find comfort in the loss of those they cared about. No one deserved to die in such a manner, nor anyone lose someone they cared about so suddenly. Once finished, he spent more time meditating on the undertaking that was going to happen. It wasn't going to be easy, but the Force assured him that this was the right course. That he was here for a reason.

He only hoped he was up to the task.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Kit Fisto had to admit he was impressed. The healer, Avin T'zoras, was an interesting individual, even within the Jedi ranks. His looks, for one, were different from what one usually saw. His long jet black hair, while beautiful in the way it caught light, was nothing severely out of the ordinary. Even his icy blue eyes, which seemed like they could stare into your very soul, were not different enough to make him singular or terribly unique. It was his skin color that caught the Nautolan's attention. Light gray, that on any other human would make them look deathly ill, appeared natural on the healer.

He was not a tall man, standing around 173 cm. Kit himself stood at 196 and the height difference between them was obvious to anyone who had eyes to see. Even to the clones, he was visibly shorter. Not that it really made much difference. Avin held himself well, not pridefully but certainly with confidence in himself, and his skills as a healer were remarkable, if the clones he'd gotten to were any sign. Most were up and walking around, as if they'd never been injured. The Nautolan master had been horrified and relieved to hear Shade's story, how he'd almost lost one of the clones he'd grown closest to.

“It was a damn lucky shot, sir, from what Tabs told me,” Tone had told him shortly after they'd arrived on the _Serenity_. “It managed to hit the barrel of the blaster that Lasko was holding. It exploded in his hands. It killed Lasko and a piece of the shrapnel hit Captain Shade.”

Shade would have died if Avin hadn't gotten there when he had. Even Chroma might have not made it. That line would have broken if the healer hadn't been there to help hold it. Several of the clones in the area admitted that they'd been inspired by Avin's staunch defense, holding Grievous in position and not allowing him or his army to gain any ground. Kit himself had seen a bit of that battle. Avin's skills with a lightsaber were good, if a bit rusty, probably from lack of practice, but he'd been surprised to see the knife that had entered the battle and the strike that had damaged one of Grievous' arms.

It was rare for a Jedi to carry anything other than their lightsaber as a weapon consistently. For a Jedi healer to carry such a knife on him at all times, there had to be a story behind it, one that the Nautolan master found himself curious about. He hadn't gotten a good look at it before so perhaps he could use that as an excuse to fish out the story behind it. Metal blades were not common to see on a battlefield, not on any Republic planet he'd been on before at least. Only the bounty hunters he'd come across seemed to carry them around constantly.

His attention fell back to the healer as Admiral Cleearl introduced him over the video feed. They'd been joined by three other battle cruisers, as well as several smaller ships via a hologram that was being broadcast from the _Serenity_. When Avin had the spotlight, he was quiet for a moment before he began to explain why he was there. The Nautolan was glad to hear that Skywalker had not given the healers all the details as Avin went to describe what had been discovered and that it was a threat to the safety of the Grand Army of the Republic as well as any success they might have in the war.

When one of the admirals from another ship asked him for details, the healer's answer was perhaps a bit frosty. “I do not have them, Admiral. I've been told that the lives of all clones and the Jedi are in danger as long as these bio-chips remain. That is all I need to know. As we're not killing anyone by removing them, I didn't see a need for details.”

“They will be shared when this is no longer such an immediate threat,” Kit stated, walking over to stand next to the other Jedi. “I assure you that the Jedi High Council would not make such a decision rashly. I ask that you trust us, Admiral, as Jedi. Trust that we only have the good of the Republic, and the galaxy, in mind.”

“There is one more thing that I must say before I begin my task,” Avin said, taking control of the conversation before the questioning admiral could try to argue for the answers he wanted. It was a subtle move that the Nautolan appreciated and silently wondered about. Where had he learned to do that? Or was it simply natural to him? “This surgery is only successful if the patient is willing. This decision can only be made by each individual clone. It _can not_ be done out of following orders. You all have a choice here and it must be yours to go through with it. If you come to me with an unwilling mind, I can't guarantee that you will live.”

“The removals will take place on this cruiser in the medical bay. I will start with those on this ship in two hours and will be performing these removals at all hours until we are finished. Again, this surgery is completely up to each clone and you must be a willing participant. I will do my best to make sure you are comfortable, both before and after, so you may return to your duties as quickly as possible. From what we have seen so far, I will have you rest for at least fifteen minutes before releasing you. It will be best for your health to do so.”

“Alright, you heard what's going on,” Admiral Cleearl stated, taking over the call. “Some will have more time than others to decide, but you best start thinking about it now. I will speak with Healer T'zoras so we can decide an order of which ships will come after the _Serenity_. The sooner we get this done, the sooner all of you can return to and stay in your particular zones. There's going to be a lot of shuffling going around for the next while. We're going to need to stay on our toes. I will contact you again when we have a schedule made up.”

Kit turned to Avin as the Admiral called for the transmission to be cut. “Skillfully handled, Healer T'zoras.”

With a nod of his head, the healer turned to face him. “Thank you, Master Fisto, though I don't believe there was anything special about it. I merely shared what I had been told.”

A grin spread across the Nautolan's face. “Well, I believe it will only be the officers of the other ships that have any protests about what is happening. Here's hoping they don't take it too far.”

Admiral Cleearl joined them, standing tall with her arms behind her back. “They won't. The Jedi council has been in contact with commanders of our forces so every officer is well aware of what consequences they'll face if they do not give the clones on their ships a choice to go through with the removal. And from the response we're already receiving on our own ship, it would be extremely odd to find a ship where none of the clones are willing to go through the procedure. Now, healer, is there any particular order you'd like to go about this?”

Avin responded softly, though his expression did not change. “If I've calculated the numbers correctly, it will take roughly a week to get to all the clones on these ships. The _Serenity_ alone will take more than a Galactic Standard day. However, I would like to get the larger ships done first as they provide the largest defense should we suffer an attack.”

“All of these ships are within this sector and it won't take them more than an hour in hyperspace to reach us,” Admiral Cleearl nodded. “If that is the case, then I shall work on creating a schedule on my own, unless you want to be a part of it.”

“I leave it to you,” the healer bowed. “If you'll excuse me, I need to finish setting up the rooms that have been given to me.”

“Let me come with you,” Kit stated. “I'm interested in seeing how this procedure will go.”

They bid the Admiral goodbye as they left the bridge, heading to one of the lifts that would take them to the medical bay. The halls were filled with the bustle of clones, going about their business to keep the ship running and in tip top shape in case they were attacked. Kit thought about the cruiser they'd lost yesterday and all the lives that had been on it. He'd been on the surface at the time, speaking with the commanders of the base. The Separatist attack had been swift and General Grievous' forces had been quick in landing on the surface.

He hoped that another attack would not come their way anytime soon.

“I would like to thank you again,” the Nautolan said as they entered one of the lifts, “for your help yesterday.”

“I should be the one thanking you,” Avin replied, a tiny frown on his face. “I wouldn't have lasted much longer against General Grievous.”

“Well, you had me fooled,” Kit smiled. “You looked as if you had things under control.”

“How things appear and how they truly are tend to rarely be the same, Master Fisto,” the healer responded. He still hadn't changed his expression much.

“Please, call me Kit,” the Nautolan insisted, stepping forward as the lift door opened. “I feel like I'm talking to dignitaries and politicians when I'm called Master Fisto.”

Avin's mouth quirked up the tiniest amount and the council member found himself pleased with the reaction. “Very well. Then I shall insist the same, for I wouldn't feel right referring to a council member by his first name and insisting otherwise with myself.”

Chuckling, Kit nodded. “I can do that, Healer Avin. Ah, I wanted to ask about that knife you had with you yesterday. What is it?”

Avin hesitated in answering, that was clear, before the Nautolan could sense a wall being put up. A sensitive issue, perhaps? “It's a Tehk'la blade. It's a vibrodagger of sorts, though its origin falls outside of the Republic's borders. It belonged to my father.”

Humming, Kit's head-tresses twitched the tiniest amount, sensing the mood in the air. All Nautolan's had an excellent sense of smell and the tendrils on their heads helped in that they increased that sense of smell to be able to pick out a particular mood. It worked far better underwater, but it was still more sensitive than a human's on land. A Jedi's mood was always a bit harder to figure out, due to the shielding they protected themselves with, but Kit had worked hard to try and be sensitive to those he focused on, Jedi or not. Avin's shields, however, were sturdier than most, like a wall of a near impenetrable fortress.

Kit was intrigued by the strength of them to say the least. “I see. May I see it? Or is that treading upon some sort of taboo if I ask?”

Avin shook his head. “No, there's no sacred meaning behind a Tehk'la. At least, not that I was ever taught. My father told me that all Nagai tend to carry them and insisted I have his before I was brought to the temple as an Initiate.” With a fluid motion that could only come from practice, the healer removed the blade from its sheath with the Force, the hilt coming to rest in his palm. He slowly turned the weapon, offering the safe end to the Nautolan master.

With soft words of thanks, Kit took the blade and held it in his hands. It was a decent knife, resting solid, yet light in his hands. “It's very finely balanced. I assume that it's meant to be thrown?”

The healer blinked, his eyes widening just slightly in surprise before he nodded. “Yes, though it was also built for close combat in case it was needed that way.”

“Like you used on General Grievous,” the Jedi master said, turning the blade in the light. There were no special marks, no words inscribed on the blade. Yet, even within its simple design, there was a complexity to the blade that, of those that he'd seen, few other vibrodaggers shared.

Perhaps that was due to its construction outside of Republic space. Avin had said that it was forged by the Nagai, that his father had been of that species. It would explain the gray color of his skin as well as his dark hair. His eyes, however, were very unlike any Nagai the Nautolan had come across. They weren't common by any means, but the Nagai were a people who traveled and explored. Kit had come across them on missions before. They had been far more slender, almost bony, in comparison to Avin's build. Which meant that he was only half Nagai, at most.

That was something best not brought up for the time being, he decided.

“It's a beautiful blade,” Kit stated, taking one more long look at it before he gently offered it back. “It's rare to find a Jedi that carries more than a lightsaber. I hope my curiosity hasn't offended you.”

“Not at all,” Avin replied, accepting the Tehk'la back and sliding it into its sheath. “I usually find that...my carrying it is offensive to others. That they think it unbecoming of a Jedi.”

“Unbecoming?” the Nautolan asked.

“Because it ties me to my past,” the healer answered softly and his walls were up again, almost stronger than they had been before.

Kit mentally frowned. Obviously, Avin had been at the brunt of some negative attention about the knife before. On top of it all, however, there was a strong pull he felt towards the healer. He wasn't quite sure why, but the Nautolan was more than adept in knowing when the Force was trying to guide him to something. Whatever the reason, he knew he had to get through those walls. Carefully, of course. Breaking them down was not an option and he really didn't like to bulldoze his way through anything if he could help it.

“Well, regardless, you are skilled with the blade,” Kit stated, hoping to not push the healer further behind his walls. “Your lightsaber skills were impressive as well. You prefer a defensive position?”

Avin slowly nodded as they entered the medical bay, eyeing the Nautolan from the corner of his eyes. “Yes. I would rather defend than attack. Some will argue that the best defense is a strong offense, but I find that I don't care to bring pain to anyone unless it's absolutely necessary.”

The Jedi master could have let out a breath of relief when the conversation continued on smoothly. “There are others that will also tell you that standing firm and defending that which you wish will break down more than just physical walls. Your mentality fits that of a healer. You were raised well as one.”

That made the healer pause, again, before he replied, “I didn't start on the healer's path, Master Kit. I was going to be a Peacekeeper. I'm well versed in many of the combat forms, though I do tend to lean towards Soresu.”

Kit grinned, filing the bits of information away for later use. They could delve deeper into these topics later. Right now he wanted to keep things light and enjoyable. “You should meet with Master Kenobi. He's the best practitioner of the third form that the Order has, in my opinion. He would have several tips and pointers for you, I'm sure.”

With a raised brow, Avin shook his head. “I doubt he has any time to spare to help some random Jedi healer get better. Still, I do need to start practicing with my lightsaber again. Today's confrontation with General Grievous was more than enough proof of that.”

The Nautolan master saw an opportunity to grow closer to the other Jedi and wasn't about to let it go to waste. “Then shall we train together?”

“I...what?” The healer completely stopped in his steps and his look of surprised bafflement was the biggest shift of his face the Jedi master had seen yet. “Really?”

“Certainly,” Kit smiled, pleased with the reaction if only because he was getting to see the other Jedi's face in something that was other than neutral. “I have not had a sparing partner in years and the council wishes for me to stay with you as much as possible.”

“To watch over me?” Avin asked, eyes narrowing.

“To make sure nothing gets in the way of what you were sent to do,” Kit clarified. “Someone wants our Order severely weakened or destroyed. We're not so hopeful that we believe they won't notice our actions and try to disrupt them.”

“Is it truly that dire?” the healer asked softly, walking further into the bay, checking the scanners of each of the sitting beds he'd had set up, making sure there were no errors. He'd had his suspicions, with how quickly the teams had been put together and shipped out. To hear that someone wanted the Jedi gone and had figured out a way to achieve it, if the way the council was reacting to it was anything to go by, was terrifying.

“Yes, I'm afraid so,” the Nautolan nodded with a soft sigh. “I am sorry I can't tell you more.”

“I know enough,” the younger Jedi said, shaking his head. “I believe in the council and that it has nothing but the best in mind for all of us. As to your offer of training with a lightsaber, I'd like that very much, Master Kit. I'm sure that in these first few days that will be impossible, but I'd like to join you as soon as possible.”

A beaming smile spread across Kit's face and he laughed happily. “Excellent! I look forward to those sessions.”

Avin, in turn, gave him a small smile and it was the best expression the Nautolan master had seen so far. “I do as well.”


	9. Reconnecting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I hope you'll enjoy this chapter! It was a fun one to write, in so many ways. haha Happy reading and let me know what you think!

For the first time in a long time, Obi-Wan found that his room was not as peaceful as he usually found it. Six days ago, the healer teams had left for their destinations. They all should have arrived at this point, provided nothing had interrupted or gotten in the way of their arrival. In the space of those six days, the ginger haired man had found it very hard to meditate in his rooms, no matter what calming techniques or methods he tried. His meditations were full of stray thoughts and he was unable to pin them down or hide them away.

The lack of peace was starting to get to him.

The movements of his former apprentice were also causing him some stress, but not in the way he was used to. Something had happened to Anakin, something big. The younger man had been more sociable lately, more friendly and gentle. His emotions were calmer, steadier. There were times, yes, that Anakin would act like the person that his master had gotten used to over the years, but he was catching his frustrations faster now and diverting them into the Force. It was such a dramatic change, Obi-Wan wasn't quite sure what to think. Had Anakin's shared meditation with Yoda really been that effective? What had he done wrong, then, in his teaching of his padawan? He'd tried his best...

Yoda, however, was still nowhere to be found so he couldn't even ask him what he'd done differently. He'd been gone for over a week, ten days now, and no one had heard from him. The council was concerned. Everyone but Anakin was worried. He'd told Obi-Wan over and over again that if Yoda had passed into the Force, they would all know it. Such a large presence disappearing wouldn't go unnoticed by ten thousand Jedi. The words had calmed a part of Obi-Wan that he hadn't realized had been so turbulent and that's when he'd decided that he really needed to meditate. However he could accomplish it, he needed to do it.

In addition to all of this, he'd checked in on the 212th, to see how they were doing. Cody had informed him, in his usual manner, that they were all awaiting his return to the battlefield. When he'd managed to get the commander alone, he'd asked him about the bio-chip and if he'd known about it. The clone had hesitated in his answer, obviously not sure of how to share what he knew. Or maybe he couldn’t. Perhaps that was one of the patterns on the bio-chip that Vokara had not been able to figure out yet.

Cody had finally answered that he knew of the inhibitor chip, but that was all he said about it. His eyes had looked remorseful, like he'd wanted to say something about it earlier or wanted to say more. Obi-Wan had smiled at his commander and told him not to worry about it. He was glad that his men were next up for a healer team when they were able to put one together. Perhaps, once it was gone, Cody would be able to tell him more about it. His forgiveness had earned him a grateful look, one that spoke volumes of his loyalty and adoration for his general.

Of course, thinking about all of that had made Obi-Wan forget that he'd been _trying to meditate!_

With an angry huff, Obi-Wan stood up from his bedroom floor and marched to the door of his apartment. This was getting ridiculous, this lack of calm or focus. He'd _never_ had a problem before. Why now? What was different? Was there something that had been shared in the council meetings that had disturbed his subconscious? He couldn't exactly talk to a mind healer about it. So far, the subject had been considered classified, the full details on a need to know basis only. As such, that meant there was no one but council members and a few others that he could talk to. That left little option for an unbiased position.

_...bi-Wa..._

Obi-Wan paused just by his door, far enough away that it didn't automatically open for him. He'd...heard something just now, hadn't he?

_Obi-Wan..._

That voice... He knew that voice! It was so familiar. In fact, he felt a strange sense of shame for not knowing it immediately. He didn't move, waiting to see if it would come again. Nothing. Nothing but the hum of the machinery in his home. Confused, the Jedi stepped further into his apartment again before he let out a heavy sigh. Great. His lack of meditation was starting to make him hear voices. He was finally going insane. Closing his eyes and rubbing the top of his nose, Obi-Wan left.

He had no particular place in mind as he wandered through the halls. There was just the desire that he wanted something to call out to him, anything really. He could still feel the Force, but it wasn't giving him any direction, no guidance. He hadn't felt this alone since, well, since he'd been a padawan. A very young padawan. Memories of his time with Qui-Gon flooded his mind, but Obi-Wan quickly pushed them away. Memories brought back not just the good things. There were bad things too and frankly, his apprenticeship had not been a smooth one.

He'd tried very hard not to have a similar one with Anakin, but he hadn't exactly been successful there, had he? Bouts with depression did not come often for Obi-Wan, as he usually pushed his more negative feelings out of his mind, but today...today it felt like he couldn't even do that. What was wrong with him? His mind answered that there was a lot, actually, but wouldn't elaborate or give him full answers. Instead, there were flashes of things he considered failures, of moments where he'd lost his trust in his fellow Jedi, in his student.

In his own Master.

His wandering took him straight past the Meditation Chapel, which is where he probably should have gone first, to standing just outside of the Room of 1,000 Fountains. The place did not have many fond memories for him and he almost turned away to go elsewhere to find his answers, but the sound of laughter stopped him. He paused, listening to the bright sound, and found himself following it. Such enjoyment was rarely heard in the temple these days and Obi-Wan found himself desperately needing a reminder that not everything had been destroyed by the war.

When he found the source of the laughs, most of them coming from a group of young Initiates, he was surprised to find Anakin sitting amongst them. His first thought was to scold his padawan for taking the children away from their studies, but then he watched the smile that spread across the young man's face. It was one of true happiness and unabated glee. Obi-Wan watched as the Knight played with the kids, running around the gardens and then letting them catch him as if he were some big, bad monster. It made the ginger haired man wonder, how often did they simply let their Initiates be children?

That wasn't all he saw either. He watched for another ten minutes, not quite hiding, but not announcing himself either. Anakin was wonderful with children. He was playing with them, helping them stand up after they'd fallen, and also gently, subtly teaching them about being a Jedi and what it meant. There were lessons inside of their play and Obi-Wan was severely impressed with how easy Anakin made it look. He was a natural at it. Just watching him was enough for the Jedi master to know that he would have made a great father.

His heart sank a little at the thought, but the Force surprised him in soothing that ache. Instead of dwelling on it, he took a few more steps into the room, allowing himself to be easily visible to the children.

“It's Master Kenobi!”

“Master Kenobi is here!”

“Come play with us, Master Kenobi!”

Just as he'd expected, he was soon surrounded by eager Initiates, all bright eyed and genuinely pleased to see him. They pulled a smile from him before they were leading him over to where Anakin was, the young man sitting on the ground, grinning as he was attacked from behind. His blue eyes raised as Obi-Wan drew near. In the past, Obi-Wan would have seen a sense of shame in his padawan's eyes at being discovered doing something he loved, something that could be considered an attachment. Now he saw acceptance and true happiness in his former student's eyes. Oh, how he'd grown.

“Master,” Anakin grinned. “I see you've been kidnapped as well.”

“I don't think I can believe that you were kidnapped, padawan,” Obi-Wan replied, smirking as the Initiates started to pull on his arms, insisting that he sit down. “I'm thinking it was the other way around. Shirking unwanted duties?”

“Nope.” The younger man pulled one of the children over his head and into his lap, immediately starting to tickle the young Zabrak boy, who burst into peals of laughter as he tried to get away. “Master Windu said that the council has given me a two weeks break before the 501st and I head out again. I'm officially off duty right now.”

“Ah, so perhaps you were abducted then,” the Jedi master grinned, though he wasn't sure when the council had made that decision. He must have been out of focus then. Minutely shaking his head before he could zone out again, he pinned two of the Initiates against his sides with his arms. The two girls, one human and the other Cathar, squealed and growled, wiggling as they tried to get away.

The other children came to their 'captured' friends' rescue, tackling Obi-Wan and Anakin all at once. Obi-Wan dramatically fell to his side, crying out for mercy as tiny hands started to try and tickle him as he went down. Anakin, however, got to his feet with a great roar, making the Initiates scatter. If they were being frowned at, the older man was finding that he didn't really care much. How long had it been since he'd allowed himself to simply lose himself in the joy of being surrounded by children?

He smiled as he watched Anakin chase the group around, claiming that he was going to catch them all and eat them up, which only made the children scream even louder as they ran away. His former student really was good with interacting with them. Maybe, when the war was over, he could recommend him for the creche. It would be a good place for him. Just as Anakin was going for another round of chasing the initiates, a shadow fell over Obi-Wan. Turning his head, the Jedi master gave the Rodian a beaming smile, while she looked at him unimpressed, arms folded.

“Hello creche Master Dii,” he said cheerfully, still lying on the ground.

“Master Kenobi,” the Rodian nodded, though he could see from her eyes that she was amused. “Are you to blame for my missing Initiates?”

“Oh no, I'm clearly the victim here,” Obi-Wan said dramatically. “They kidnapped me and then brutally attacked me. I don't know if I'll make it.”

“I'll be sure to pass on your dying regrets to the council,” Dii said sarcastically before she looked up at Anakin, who was now being bombarded by the heroes, once again defeating the bad monster. He was, for the moment, actually on the run, laughing and trying not to get caught as they chased him. “This isn't the first time he's borrowed them before, you know. He's very good with them.”

Obi-Wan nodded as he pushed himself up into a seated position. “Yes, he is.”

The two waited until Anakin had brought the initiates close enough, when the Rodian master clapped her hands. “Alright, children, over here. You've avoided your studies long enough.”

A chorus of sounds of disappointment followed her words as the Initiates dutifully, if not a little more slowly than normal, fell into line in front of the creche master. Obi-Wan couldn't help but chuckle at their expressions. Sometimes if felt like not so long ago he'd been the upset one. Anakin brought up the back of them, panting a little, but an enormous grin on his face. Apparently he'd had just as much fun as the children had. When he looked over at his master, that smile grew, were it possible, before he slumped to the ground, feet straight out and his hands holding him up as he leaned back.

“Master Skywalker, the next time you decide to borrow some of the Initiates,” Dii said, placing her hands on her hips, “please inform one of the creche masters. It would save us some time and worry.”

“Yeah, but where's the fun in that?” Anakin grinned, winking as the kids looked at him.

“Alright, children, it's time to go,” the Rodian stated, ignoring the young Jedi's reply.

“Thank you for playing with us, Master Skywalker and Master Kenobi.” The group of voices from the children made both men smile and they nodded in response before they watched as Master Dii led them away, though a few looked back and waved as they left.

Obi-Wan turned to his former student, still smiling. “Well, that's one way to start your leave.”

Anakin laughed, nodding his head. “One of the best, in my opinion.”

With a small nod in response, the older man turned his attention back to the room's entrance. “Agreed. You work well with them. Ever thought of becoming a creche master yourself?”

Anakin shook his head. “Nah. Maybe a teacher, later on, after the war is over, but I don't think I could handle what Master Dii and the other creche masters do. I'd get too frustrated I think.”

“Yes, especially when random Knights and Masters end up spiriting away your students.”

That made the younger man laugh out loud, a sound Obi-Wan hadn't heard in years. It filled the room, despite all the vegetation there to block the sound waves. Anakin's presence in the Force was bright, make no mistake, but never had he filled a room with it before. The warmth of it no doubt could be felt by anyone there and the Jedi master couldn't deny that it was soothing to his spirit. Some of the negative thoughts from before were not so strong now, but others were still strong and prevalent.

With a soft sigh, Obi-Wan smiled sadly at his former student. “I wonder, honestly, what about your meditation session with Yoda changed you. You're so much happier now. More than you ever were with me.”

Anakin looked over at the other Jedi, huffing before he responded. “Trust me, master, it was not you but me that was the problem. I was...too stubborn to let go of some of the things that you tried to get me to. You were an excellent teacher. Now that my head is clearer, I find myself remembering your lessons and what you taught me. I'm grateful, really, that I have them to fall back on. So, thanks for sticking with me. I don't think anyone else would have been able to. Well, except for maybe Master Yoda. He seems to be able to work with anyone.”

That did make Obi-Wan chuckle, though the real pleasure for him came from Anakin's words. Oh, he still had things he regretted from their time together, things he wish he would have taught differently. But to hear his padawan say that his lessons were helping him out now? Whatever had happened with Yoda still rankled a little bit, but his time as Anakin's master hadn't been a failure then, if the young man was able to draw upon those lessons now, long after he'd become a Knight of the Order. “I'm glad then, that I was your master.”

“So, what brings you down this way?” Anakin asked, staring up at the ceiling. “You're normally not one for wandering around.”

“Oh? Who says that I meant to come here?” the Jedi master asked, raising a brow.

“My point exactly,” his padawan grinned. “You always have a goal, no matter how big or small it might be. So what's up?”

“I've...had a hard time meditating lately,” Obi-Wan replied, after a few minutes of silence and when he'd decided that it couldn't hurt to tell Anakin. After all, Anakin was aware of the situations with the clones. Perhaps he had insight on what might be bothering him. “I can't seem to focus and my thoughts wander.”

“Huh. That's...odd for you,” Anakin said, frowning a little. “Something bothering you?”

“If there is, I can't seem to pinpoint it,” the older Jedi sighed. “Then today, before I left my rooms, I could have sworn that I heard a voice. It sounded so familiar, but I couldn't figure out why. It's impossible, I know, but-”

“It's not impossible.”

That made Obi-Wan blink and he turned his full attention on his padawan, who was looking down at the ground, his brow pinched together. “What do you mean?” When Anakin didn't answer right away, Obi-Wan frowned. “What are you hiding, Anakin?”

The younger man scratched the back of his head. “I wasn't...okay, maybe I wasn't being truthful, but I had good reason to not say anything.”

Crossing his arms, the older Jedi narrowed his eyes. “Do explain.”

Anakin licked his lips before he sat up, looking around him. “Okay, what I'm going to say will probably sound crazy, but it did happen. When I had my shared meditation with Master Yoda, I...I heard a voice. After it ended, I wondered if I'd heard things, but then Master Yoda said he'd heard a voice too. There was no way someone could have influenced both of our minds during a meditation at the same time so we both knew it had to be real. But of course, if we told anyone, they'd think we'd gone crazy or that the Sith were messing with our heads. But the Sith couldn’t have told me what the voice did.”

Obi-Wan frowned. “What did this voice tell you?”

Shaking his head, the young man looked at his master sadly. “I can't tell you. It was just for me. At least, for right now it's just for me.”

“Well, then whose voice did you hear?”

“I...can't tell you that either.”

“Why not?”

“He asked me not to.”

“He...asked you not to,” Obi-Wan repeated, blinking in confusion.

“Yeah,” Anakin nodded, though he clearly looked upset at the idea. Force knew why... “I know this is going to sound funny, especially after what you just told me, but maybe...you should try meditating again.”

“You think I might hear this voice again?” the older man said, frowning as he said it. He felt like he was going right back to where he'd started. Yes, the Initiates had been a pleasant distraction, but it had taken his mind off of the things that he'd wanted to fix.

Getting to his feet, Anakin brushed the dirt and grass from his clothes, giving his master a reassuring smile. “Yeah. I'm sure he really wants to talk to you...if it's who talked to me anyway.”

Obi-Wan accepted the hand his padawan offered, giving him a sardonic grin. “Very encouraging, Anakin.”

With a responding grin, Anakin waved as he moved to exit the room. “Trust me, master, it'll be worth another shot.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

Sitting in the center of his apartment, Obi-Wan sighed. He couldn't believe he was going to try this again. Anakin seemed to believe that things would be different this time, but he wasn't so assured. Still, his padawan was right. It was worth another shot. Finding his peace would _always_ be worth another shot. Taking in a deep breath, he pushed aside his doubts, knowing that they would get in the way. He settled himself in a relaxed lotus position, reverting to things as he'd done them as a child. Keep things simple. All he really wanted to do right now was connect.

Whether it was to the Force or the unknown voice, he wasn't sure.

Time slipped away, something he hadn't felt for almost a week. Things faded and in his mind, he was sitting in a field of endless stars. Oh, how he'd missed this. Perhaps he'd been trying too hard, trying too hard to focus. Maybe being reminded of his Initiate days had been just what he'd needed. Ah, there was his answer. Instead of letting the Force connect to him, he'd been trying to force the connection. He smirked at the unintentional pun. How many of his friends and associates would want to smack him for that one?

_I see your humor hasn't changed in the least._

Obi-Wan felt his mind still. That had not been imagined. It had been very real. Almost as if there was someone else in the room with him. Which was impossible. He was the only one home and -

_Trust in the Force. It will guide you, Obi-Wan._

With a frown, the Jedi master let a tendril of focus slip from his mind. He knew that voice! It was so familiar. As he watched the tendril drift forward, he started to see shapes, random shapes that he couldn't make sense of. As soon as he looked at them, they vanished, leading him back to the single line the Force was guiding him with. He followed it quietly, stopping when he noticed that it was starting to wrap around a shape. At first it was a loose oval. Then it started to tighten and a clear shape began to emerge.

As it became sharper, Obi-Wan felt his confusion spike and if he wasn't mistaken, there was a tiny bit of fear. This couldn't be...

_Open your eyes, Obi-Wan._

The command was quiet, but firm. A tone he knew by heart. He shook his head. This was impossible. With a gasp, his concentration broke. The star field vanished and all that remained was the shifting darkness behind his eyelids. His heart was thumping in his chest. Could he believe what he was hearing? Nothing felt...wrong. In fact, the Force was around him, swirling in a strength that he'd missed in the past five days. It was so strong. He hadn't felt this particular presence since...but it just couldn't be! This went against everything-

“Open your eyes, padawan.”

With a shaky breath in, Obi-Wan did as he was told, slowly raising his eyes from the floor of his apartment before they froze on the figure in front of him.

“Master...”


	10. The Boring and the Welcome

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, here's the next chapter! I believe I'm not in a spot that I really do have a set schedule in my head and it's going to be easier to stay on top of that when it comes to updating (the biggest issue is getting the muses to cooperate haha).
> 
> Regardless, I hope all of you will enjoy this next part! Happy reading!

“Senator Amidala, are you sure-”

“Relax, Fives. You both will be fine as long as you have those scramblers on you.”

“I sure hope this works...”

Padmé kept her face neutral as they approached one of the entrances of the Senate building. “Quiet now. Don't speak unless you have to.”

The two clones merely nodded, moving to just short of flanking the senator. They were in random pieces of clone armor, but it had been modified by Padmé and her security captain to make it not look as if the two men had just deserted the army. That would get them into a world of trouble. Their helmets were similar to that of the Mandalorians, but again a few additions had been put on them. The donor of their DNA had been a Mandalorian and somehow wearing one of their helmets made the clones feel strangely closer to him, bounty hunter or not.

The guards to the building made them stop for a routine check up and true to form, Anakin's scrambler worked, getting the clones inside without so much as a suspicious look from the guard. Once inside, Fives and Tup locked the scrambler onto the code it had given each of them, hoping that it would work for them for a while. Whether the identities were real or fake, it wouldn't do for them to walk in as one person and then leave as another. Their general had thought of everything in terms of that little piece of machinery.

As they walked down the hallways towards Padmé's spot in the senate, they ran into another senator, who smiled when he saw her. “Ah, senator Amidala.”

“Senator Organa,” Padmé smiled, bowing her head. “It's good to see you again.”

“I can say the same for you,” Bail grinned. “Though I do wish it was under different circumstances. I fear today will be yet another day where nothing seems to get done.”

“With that kind of attitude, nothing will,” the Naboo senator chided, though her tone was light and friendly. “We must remain positive that we can change things for the better.”

“We need more senators with that kind of positivity, don't you agree, senator Organa?”

Fives and Tup tensed as they slowly moved to the side, backs to the wall, keeping their eyes on Padmé. Chancellor Palpatine strode forward to greet the two senators, his face serene and calm. Both clones took deep breaths as he drew closer, fighting the urge to run. If he knew they were there, he was doing a miraculous job of ignoring them. With a nod to each other, they both moved to rest their hands behind their backs, one hand near a blaster should they need it. They wouldn't draw their weapons, however, unless there was a threat to them or Padmé.

Both had learned very quickly just _how_ important the senator was to their general.

“That I do, Chancellor,” Bail replied, bowing respectfully to the leader of the Republic senate. “I truly do believe that people like Senator Amidala will be the ones to change our Republic for the better.”

“Do not sell yourself so short either, my friend,” Palpatine grinned. “You, too, are needed in this time of chaos.”

“See there?” Padmé grinned, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. “You've even got the Chancellor encouraging positivity.”

“Indeed,” the Chancellor said, before he turned his attention to the two clones. “Though I am surprised to find you with a different escort today.”

“Oh, yes,” Padmé stated. “Well, my people are very concerned for my safety and after the attempt on your life, Chancellor, they begged me to take some extra protection with me for a while.” She paused dramatically, letting out a small sigh. “I will admit, I do feel a little safer with them around. My captain of security was actually pleased to hear I was hiring a couple extra bodyguards for a little while.”

Fives smirked behind his helmet. They'd discussed what the Naboo senator would say should their presence be remarked on, but he was beginning to really see why his general liked her so much. She was devious and incredibly deceptive when she wanted to be. His eyes moved to the Chancellor who seemed to be none the wiser. There was something sinister about the man, but he didn't seem to think that Padmé was lying.

Palpatine sighed, just as dramatic if not more so. “Yes and the culprits have yet to be caught. But don't you worry, my dear. We will find them soon and that threat will be put to rest.”

_Fancy way of saying he'd like to put us in the ground,_ Fives thought with a frown.

Senator Organa nodded. “We all certainly hope that's the case as well, Chancellor. We had best all head to our spots or I believe there will be some very cross senators inside the dome if we make the leader of our Senate late.”

The politicians all bid their farewells and Fives and Tup once again fell in line behind the Naboo senator. No shots were fired, nothing tried to get them from behind. Could they really believe that they were hidden in plain sight? Could it be that easy? During the entirety of the meeting, Fives kept expecting something to go wrong. Occasionally he'd look over at Tup to check on him, and almost snorted out a laugh when he caught his younger brother practically dozing during one of the debates on one of the issues that had come up in the Senate that day. It was boring. He couldn't blame him for falling asleep.

One day in the Senate was making him quite sure that if they survived this and made it to the end of the war, he'd never be a politician. Not that he'd ever thought much of being anything but a soldier before.

Fives nudged his brother as the meeting came to a close for the day, not able to stop a snort of amusement when Tup nearly fell over. By the smile that was on Padmé's face, he'd guess that things had gone well for her and her allies. Still, he had no idea what they'd talked about. He was glad that they'd been ordered to be quiet when out in public, if only to hide their similar voices. It worked for him, honestly. He wasn't going to question the idea if it kept him and Tup safe, alive, and in one piece.

Once back at her home, the clones removed their helmets, breathing out a breath of relief. Today had been a test. The fact that they weren't running away or fighting against a hoard of guardsmen was an excellent show of just how well the day had gone. Fives flopped onto the couch, rubbing a hand over his prickly head. His hair wasn't quite where he wanted it to be again, after having his head shaven for the chip's removal, but his beard was growing back very well. He'd thought about changing his hairstyle once it had grown out long enough, but figured he really wouldn't have much of a choice for a while. Tup, too, was growing his hair out in the spot that had been shaved, but the rest of his hair was able to cover the spot easily.

“Well, that went better than any of us believed it would,” Padmé smiled, sitting down on a nearby chair.

“Yes, it did,” Tup nodded, sitting down next to his older brother. “It could have gone much worse.”

“Well, you did end up falling asleep while on duty,” Fives teased, chuckling when Tup blushed a little. “That one's going down for the record.”

“You probably weren't faring much better than me,” Tup scowled, drumming his fingers on his helmet.

“No, he was definitely nodding a couple points during the meeting,” Padmé grinned.

Tup nodded and then sighed. “No offense, senator, but I think you're crazy to sit through all of that.”

Laughing, the Naboo senator sank into her chair, her eyes full of mirth. “Sometimes, Tup, I would agree with you. Now, would either of you like a drink or a snack? I'm feeling a bit hungry.”

After they simply requested water, Fives watched as their charge walked away, leaving him alone with his brother. “Honestly, Tup, do you think we were suspected?”

Tup sighed. “I don't know. If Chancellor Palpatine had noticed us, why didn't he try to kill us then?”

Fives frowned. “Because we were in public would be my guess. That and we were surrounded by several senators from around the Republic. I think he'd have a hard time making people believe that he was merely protecting himself this time around if there were several eye witnesses.”

Suddenly Tup paled, looking towards the kitchen. “Fives, they...if they do suspect anything, they'll know where to find us.”

Closing his eyes, the older clone nodded. “Yeah. We're going to have to give up some of our time during the night for a while I think. We'll set up a night watch, take different shifts throughout the night, to keep an eye on things. If nothing else, to keep Senator Amidala safe.”

Tup turned back to face his brother, a small grin on his face. “Just tell me what I need to do.”

Fives had already looked around the rooms of Padmé's apartment shortly after they'd first arrived, trying to mark spots where someone could slip in. It seemed another look around was needed. “We're going to need backup plans in case something does go wrong and they come here to get to us. Places we could make a defense or an escape route. Make a mental list, keep your eyes sharp. We don't want to miss any possible places where they could get to us unseen. I'll take the first shift tonight in staying up.”

Frowning, Tup nodded, though he didn't much like Fives taking the first shift of keeping a watch. “Okay. I'll do my best to have a list of places for you tomorrow. Maybe even things we could use.”

“That's using your head, trooper,” Fives smiled, placing a hand on his younger brother's head and rubbing it back and forth. “We'll do this for Senator Amidala for the help in keeping us out of harm's way.”

“For her and General Skywalker,” Tup stated seriously, a small grin on his face.

“Right,” Fives said, letting his hand fall away as Padmé made her entrance in from another room, a droid following after her with refreshments. “We've got a mission now. Let's see it through.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

“How do you think they're doing?”

Kix looked up from his data pad and blinked in slight confusion. It only took him a moment to figure out who Jesse meant, and with a quick glance around to make sure no one was obviously listening in, he shrugged casually, though his eyes remained serious. “I don't know. Haven't heard anything since then.”

Jesse sighed. “Nothing, huh? I would have thought that...”

Frowning, the medic set his pad down, staring down at the table in front of him. “We can only hope for the best, Jesse. We'll just have to have hope in the fact that we haven't heard anything from _outside_ the 501 st.”

Before either clone could continue, the comms on their arms beeped at the same time. Jesse raised a brow while Kix shrugged, both of them answering at the same time.

“ _I see you two are with each other.”_

“Yes sir,” Jesse replied as Kix turned off his comm. No point in having stereo if they were together. Rex probably didn't want to hear himself echo through the comm either.

“ _Are the two of you free? I know we're on break, but I'd like to speak with you.”_

“Where would you like us to meet you, sir?” Kix asked.

“ _At headquarters, outside of briefing room 4B. In an hour.”_

“We'll be there,” Jesse said before the call ended.

The Grand Army of the Republic Headquarters wasn't exactly a place for Rex to say anything about Fives and Tup, but if they were heading to a briefing room, chances were that whatever their captain wanted to discuss with them was still fairly delicate in nature. While the Jedi believed it was important for the clones to have a break just like their generals, in truth, most clones had little to no idea what to do on those breaks. Most went to bars or cantinas around whatever planet they were on, just to waste the time they had. That or they stayed in the barracks, studying, training, or playing card games with other clones.

Both Jesse and Kix were glad to have something else to do, especially as they couldn't simply go out and see if Fives and Tup were okay.

Headquarters was bustling about with clones as well as uniformed officers, students from the Academy, and droids that varied from a simple cleaning droid to advanced protocol droids that spoke millions of languages. The briefing rooms were on the second level of the building and a single lift took them right to the hall where they needed to be. They found Rex waiting for them outside of the room, his helmet in his hands and an expression on his face that neither of them could decipher.

Rex nodded when he saw them, motioning that they could remove their helmets before walking to the briefing room behind him. Once they were inside, they found a hologram of Cody waiting for them as well and Rex sealed the door. If anyone wanted in they were going to have to break down that door. With a lightsaber, a bomb, or high clearance code. Kix and Jesse followed their captain to the front of the table, saluting to Cody before standing at attention. Cody nodded back before he turned his attention to Rex. Whatever was going on, it had to be more serious than they thought if their captain wanted Marshal Commander Cody involved.

“Thanks for coming Jesse, Kix,” Rex stated, setting his helmet down on the table. “Especially when you're on break.”

“You know better than most, sir, that we clones don't really have anything to do when we're on break,” Jesse said, smirking a little.

“What's going on, Rex?” Kix asked with a slight frown. “You wouldn't have sealed the door if it wasn't important.”

Rex looked to Cody, who gave him a nod, before he slipped a disk into the table. “I received a distress call last night. One that...well, I'm not sure what to think honestly. It came over one of my encrypted lines. A line that only two other clones know how to access. We made them together, hoping that they'd be a back up if we ever needed it in a dire situation with sensitive information. One of those clones is Fives.”

Cody frowned and it was clear that he wasn't aware of the true status of Fives and Tup. “Did this call have a source?”

Rex nodded. “Yes sir. It wasn't Coruscant. I believe that Fives is still here as it would be hard for a clone to simply slip away on a transport to another planet. He'd have to find some way to remove his bar code. That and I don't think he would have left Tup behind. Fives is more loyal than that.”

Kix couldn't help but feel a little pride in his captain. There was no break, no facial twitch on Rex's face to show that he knew _exactly_ where the two clones were. But Rex wasn't impervious to continued questions and to make sure it didn't get to that point, he spoke up. “Who was the other clone, sir?”

With a sigh, Rex's expression almost turned thunderous. “The other clone... I think I'll just have you listen.”

With the press of a button, the recording started, at first full of static. It didn't seem like anything was there. Just as Kix was looking over at Jesse, who shrugged, they heard a voice and the static lessened.

“ _Help...save...Republic...danger...my head...separa...kill...CT-14...1409...CT-1409...”_

The transmission cut off into static and Rex turned off the recording. Silence filled the room as Cody, Kix, and Jesse tried to decipher the message in their heads. Rex looked as if he'd listened to it a hundred times, but it still brought a troubled look to his face.

“That's...impossible. That's Echo's number.” The medic was shaking his head.

“Echo is the other clone that worked on those lines with me,” Rex replied softly, his eyes narrowed.

“But Echo...died,” Jesse frowned.

“We thought he did,” Rex frowned. “Maybe we were wrong.”

“It could be a trap,” Cody stated, “to lure you and maybe someone else in. General Skywalker was apart of that mission to the Citadel as well. Maybe they're trying to get to him.”

“Normally, sir, I'd agree with you,” the captain sighed, standing up straight. “However...I can't leave it at this.”

Cody frowned. “Why not?”

Squaring his shoulders, Rex turned to face the commander. “In addition to my encrypted lines, Fives and Echo also worked with me on battle algorithms, battle plans that have saved hundreds of clones from dying unnecessarily, should our Jedi Generals go along with it. If those algorithms fall completely into Separatist hands...I don't want to think about what that would do for the Republic.”

Jesse crossed his arms. “Maybe Echo recorded that information on a disk of some kind and they have their hands on that.”

Shaking his head, that captain frowned at the table in front of him. “We all agreed that we'd keep the information in our heads. Forced ourselves to memorize it. We each had a copy, yes, but Echo wouldn't have taken it with him to the Citadel. He wouldn't risk that. Besides, even if Echo had recorded it on a disk and the Separatists had that information, I don't see why they wouldn't have acted on it already.”

Kix didn't like where this was going. “Rex, if Echo is alive and they have him... We need to get out there.”

Rex grinned at his medic. “I know, Kix. That's why I asked for the two of you to come here. I want to go check out the source of this call and see what else we can find out. If Echo is out there, we need to get him back with the 501st. Back home.”

“It's too risky, Rex,” Cody stated. “And what if Echo turned and he's part of the trap?”

“With all due respect, sir,” Rex said, his voice a cold as ice, “Echo would _never_ turn against the Republic. He'd rather die than be used by the Separatists.”

“You said the same of Fives,” Cody argued.

“And I still say he and Tup were attacked first,” Rex countered with a glare. “Fives and Echo are some of the best ARC troopers this army has seen. They're loyalty to the Republic as a whole is something I will never doubt.”

Kix and Jesse watched the confrontation between the two leaders in silence, though they already knew which side they were siding with. That decision had been made almost two weeks ago.They were surprised, however, when Cody merely let a small smile spread across his face. Some sort of silent communication passed between them, Rex visibly relaxing though his expression remained firmed and determined. When the commander's eyes moved to them, Kix and Jesse could see that he agreed with them, but couldn't say it out loud for whatever reason.

Maybe he was being watched.

Cody's smile vanished and he let out a heavy sigh. “You will be going regardless, won't you?”

Looking over at Kix and Jesse, Rex gave the hologram a sharp nod. “Yes.”

The commander let his shoulders sink. “Well, you're on break, so I can't stop you if you want to...take a trip. However, I will give you a warning. Do _not_ take action that could possibly put the Republic in danger. I can't guarantee that I can keep you safe if you get caught or something you do can be condemned.”

Rex nodded, the corner of his lips titling upwards. “Then we have your blessing, sir?”

Cody snorted, but he was smirking. “Unofficially.”

Looking over to his captain, Kix pulled out a data pad he'd brought with him. “What supplies should I bring, sir? If Echo's being held by the Separatists, he'll probably need some sort of care.”

Jesse nudged the medic with his elbow. “We'll figure that out in a minute, Kix. Let's hear about where we're going first.”

The hologram suddenly looked to the side before Cody was turning his attention back to the three clones in the room. “I need to go. Rex, I think there might be a team out there who can help you out. Let me know when you're ready and I'll have them contact you.”

Rex blinked. “A specific team?”

Cody grinned. “Trust me. You'll be grateful for their help.”

With a nod of his head, Rex gave the commander a small smile. “Thanks Cody. We'll be careful.”

Cody's image nodded before it was gone, leaving only those of the 501st in the room. Rex took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly before he turned his attention to his fellow clones. “This isn't going to be easy, you two. All I have to run off of is the source of that call. Are you sure you want to be a part of this?”

With a grin, Jesse nodded. “If Echo's out there, we'll find him. It's the least we can do.”

“For Echo _and_ for Fives,” Kix added. “You know he'd be standing here too if he could.”

“That's exactly why I want to make sure we completely cover every piece of information we find,” the captain stated. “We've got to have something for him to look forward to.”

“What are we waiting for then?” Jesse smirked. “Let's get going!”

“Where are we headed, Rex?” Kix asked, so he could prepare whatever medical needs they might have.

Rex pressed a few buttons on the table in front of him, a planet popping up in front of him, several details being listed at its side in the hologram. “Anaxes, Kix. We're going to Anaxes.”


	11. Release

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are again! Two updates within a month time span? What is this nonsense?!
> 
> Haha, here, however, is the continuation of the conversation that Obi-wan has with his master. I hope it doesn't appear too OOC, but I really felt like some of this needed to happen. Here's hoping that you agree!

This was not possible. It just wasn't possible. Obi-Wan wanted to believe it was a Sith trick of some kind. Somehow the Sith lord had gotten a hold of his mind and was playing a mean trick on him. Yet the Force...it was so calm around him, so soothing. It was a feeling he hadn't felt since he'd been a padawan. Since he'd been under the guidance of the very man standing in front of him. But, Force, this was supposed to be impossible! Ever since he'd been an initiate, he'd never questioned that what was happening in front of him wasn't supposed to!

Qui-Gon, however, merely gave his former student a smile, his eyes soft with could only be described as happiness. “Hello, Obi-Wan. It is good to see you again.”

Obi-Wan shook his head. “This isn't possible.”

His master merely raised a brow. “I stand before you, do I not?”

Frowning, Obi-Wan let his eyes fall to the floor. “But we've been taught-”

“Do not cling to ideas and theories too tightly, padawan. The future is ever changing and many things that should not have been lost to the Jedi have been.” Qui-Gon's words were firm, yet gentle. It was a tone the Jedi master was very intimate with.

“Are you...really here?” Obi-Wan asked, almost not daring to look up again. He knew his master was dead, especially with the faint blue glow he had to him, but he felt...afraid that the man might vanish if he did. “I'm not hallucinating?”

“I am here, Obi-Wan,” Qui-Gon said gently. “I have always been with you.”

“Have you?” With what suddenly felt like a lock breaking, several emotions started to crawl into Obi-Wan's chest, emotions he hadn't realized he was still holding on to. Bitterness, anger, sadness. Had his master really been with him the entire time? Since the moment he'd died till now? Why hadn't he been able to sense him, _see_ him until now? And why was he so upset? He should be happy to see his old master again, shouldn’t he? He should have gotten rid of these feelings long ago, push them out into the Force. Except...perhaps that wasn't what he'd done at all. Maybe he'd just buried them, ignored them until he was sure they were gone. Shaking his head, the Jedi master closed his eyes.

He was the biggest failure of the Order to date, no doubt.

As if sensing his train of thought, Qui-Gon's figure stepped closer. “Padawan-”

Obi-Wan snapped. “Don't call me that!”

The ghost paused, his eyes sad. “Why not? Were you not mine?”

A bitter laugh bubbled up through the Jedi master's throat before he countered that thought with a question. “Was I? Was I...ever...truly your padawan?” Qui-Gon remained silent, letting Obi-Wan continue. “I had to fight for you. Fight to prove myself, to prove to you that I was meant to be a Jedi. You were so reluctant to train me. And then... after everything we went through together, all of the missions and lessons...we found Anakin. In the horrible mess of Naboo, we found a boy with a midichlorian count so high that...that the next chance you got...”

Obi-Wan couldn't finish, the first tear trail slipping down his cheek as he looked up at the ghost in front of him. “Why were you so quick...to get rid of me?”

“Obi-Wan,” Qui-Gon murmured, his expression saddened.

“No,” the Jedi master interrupted, getting to his feet and wiping his face. “No, this...this is a trick. A horrible, Sith mind trick to get me to turn to the Dark Side. This is... very clever. I should have seen this sooner. I won't fall for this.”

“This is no trick,” the ghost said swiftly. “Nor is it by the power of the Dark Side. I _am_ here, Obi-Wan. Listen to the Force. Has it ever lied to you?”

Obi-Wan didn't answer. Instead he shook his head, his faced pinched and twisted with confusion, misery, and agony.

“You need to let those feelings go, padawan,” Qui-Gon said sternly, yet in the gentle tone he always had. “You've been holding onto them for too long.”

“Why? Why must I do this?” Obi-Wan asked. “I wanted to forget these feelings! I wanted to forget...forget that you were ready to toss me aside for someone else! And then you had the _gall_ to ask me, to make me _promise_ to you that I would train him. Train the boy you'd chosen over me! We spent thirteen years together, Master. Thirteen years!” The tears were pouring from his eyes and the Jedi found he couldn’t stop them. “Thirteen years...and you didn't have a single word for me as I held you while you were dying. Not one word.”

“And if I'm not mistaken,” the Jedi master continued, glaring at the glowing figure that stood in front of him, “you reached out to Anakin first. He said he'd heard a voice. It was you, wasn't it?” With a shuddered exhale, he let his shoulders droop as he closed his eyes. “Will I...ever be first for you, Master? For anyone?”

The last words were spoken so softly that had he still been in a body, Qui-Gon wasn't sure he would have heard them. Regardless, he could feel the emotions, the absolute sadness the man in front of him held. A sadness that had been festering and growing inside of him for more than ten years, hidden away by distractions of various kinds. If he could have beaten himself, Qui-Gon Jinn would have. A Jedi master was supposed to not let their emotions control them, yes, but he failed spectacularly in teaching Obi-Wan that it didn't mean they had no emotions at all. It was impossible for a Jedi, for anyone, to go through life feeling _nothing._

“Will you speak with me?” Qui-Gon asked softly, wishing he could wipe away the other man's tears. “There is much that needs to be said.”

“Do you have time for that?” Obi-Wan questioned harshly in response, frowning as he scrubbed at his face. “Isn't there somewhere else you need to be?”

“There is nowhere else that I wish to go,” the ghost answered, placing a hand on his former student's shoulder. Perhaps it could not be felt physically, but he hoped the gesture could be felt through the Force. “Will you sit with me?”

Obi-Wan didn't answer and for a moment Qui-Gon wondered if his presence was going to simply do more harm than good. They stood in silence, Qui-Gon taking in his padawan's appearance. How he'd grown over the years since he'd died. Grown into the Jedi that he had known he could be. There were scars, he knew, both physical and mental that had come with the war. War always changed things, for everyone, but he was so happy to see that even with all that he'd faced, his padawan was still very much himself.

With a sigh, Obi-Wan finally looked at him, his eyes watery as he gave his master a thin smile. “I never was able to tell you no.”

Qui-Gon raised a brow. “Oh? I remember several occasions where you told me that very word.”

That pulled a small laugh from his padawan, who shook his head. “Not when it was something you really wanted. I...I would have done anything for you, had you asked for it.”

That admission itself wasn't stunning, but the steel behind it shocked the ghost. Strange how he'd spent so many years with his apprentice and still knew so little about him. “Let's sit, Obi-Wan. And talk.”

Obi-Wan watched as his master's figure sat down on the ground, taking up the customary lotus position he always had when they'd meditated together. It was both saddening and nostalgic to see it. Slowly, he settled himself back on the floor, in a different spot so he could face his master properly. He was still upset, yes, the emotions still spinning in his mind, but he felt...lighter. Lighter than he had in _years_. To actually speak his frustrations...maybe a trip to a mind healer later on wouldn't be such a bad idea.

But first. He had questions. A lot of them. “How can you be here? We're told-”

“That you become one with the Force when you die, yes,” Qui-Gon nodded. “I did become one with it, with the Living Force, but I have been able to retain my consciousness. Until a short while ago, I've only been able to contact people with my voice.” A small smile spread across his face. “You are the first I have appeared to as soon as I could make a shape.”

“Why couldn't you before?” Obi-Wan asked, though he did feel something in his heart loosen at being the first to actually see his master since he'd died.

“Even after a physical death, I continue to learn,” the ghost answered. “Yoda's journey has not only helped him, but it has allowed me to learn more. There is so much that the Jedi have forgotten, Obi-Wan. I am hoping to rectify that.”

“You always were a troublemaker,” the Jedi master sighed. “The council was never fully pleased with you.”

“They weren't,” Qui-Gon smirked. “But I listened to the Force and I never once regretted it. I still do not. It was when I did not listen that I regretted things.”

“Such as?” Obi-Wan asked, though he wasn't sure that he was going to like the answer.

For a moment, the ghost said nothing. Finally he lifted his eyes, staring deep into his padawan's eyes. “I owe you a great many apologies, Obi-Wan. Probably more than I can count.”

With a frown, the Jedi master waited. Yes, he wasn't going to like this. “That isn't-”

Qui-Gon shook his head. “It is necessary. If only so...you can finish healing. I want you to be happy, padawan, and I have many wrongs that I need to try and take care of where you are concerned. Those things need to start with recognizing my horrible actions towards you.”

Obi-Wan sighed. “You were not terrible to me, master.”

The ghost narrowed his eyes, but it was not in anger. “I was, Obi-Wan. First and foremost, I let the loss of Xanatos cloud my mind. I was so sure his fall was my fault that I could not let go of it. Even after I started training with you and all of the missions we had together, I was afraid of pushing you down the same path. I did not let myself recognize what I was doing to you, what I was _teaching_ you. Burying your emotions does not make them go away, padawan. It only allows them to fester until they are too powerful to ignore. I also ignored the Force when it tried to tell me the first time that I needed to take you as my padawan.”

That was something Obi-Wan hadn't expected. “You ignored the Force? About me?”

Qui-Gon nodded. “Yes. I did not fully see it then, but now...I was afraid, Obi-Wan. Afraid of losing another student. It does not make what I did alright, but that is why I was so hesitant to train you.”

Well, the Jedi master could relate. He'd been terrified when he'd taken Anakin as his padawan. Yes, he'd done it out of a promise, but he had just turned a Knight himself at that time. He'd had no idea what he was getting into. “I believe I can understand that. I'm sorry that-”

“No, padawan,” the ghost interrupted. “There is nothing you need to apologize for. How I treated you was not your fault. I will say it again and again until you believe me. This goes for when I found Anakin as well. I was stubborn, refusing to face what I was really dreading as well as knowing that he needed to be trained.”

“Well, the stubborn bit isn't news to me,” Obi-Wan half grinned. “That was always a challenge with you.” He paused for only a moment, his grin fading. “He did need to be trained though. He's become such a good Jedi.”

“You are not asking what you want to ask, Obi-Wan,” Qui-Gon gently prodded.

“Very well. What...were you dreading?”

“That you were very close to your trials. That I was going to lose you as my padawan.”

Obi-Wan shook his head. “But when you presented Anakin to the council...”

The ghost sighed, if only for the motion. “I was frustrated with them. Angry that they would follow so strictly to the Code that they would not accept what was right in front of them. My words were spoken in that anger, to push how important it was to train Anakin. I did not think of how my words would affect you. I was blinded by my feelings. That does _not_ make what I said okay, Obi-Wan. I was not in any rush to get rid of you. If anything, I would have rather had two padawans.”

The Jedi master shook his head. “Still, you chose-”

Qui-Gon interrupted him again. “I made a poor decision. In my earnest to make sure Anakin would be trained, I pushed you aside. I did not realize what I had done until we traveled back to Naboo and I was too _proud_ to admit that I was doing something tremendously selfish. I hurt you, padawan, and when I realized that I had...I had already passed into the Force. As you said, we spent thirteen years together, and in one selfish moment I had pushed it to the side. I had hoped that...after Naboo, I would be able to fix that.”

“But then you died,” Obi-Wan whispered. “Died and...told me that...I needed to train Anakin.”

“I was panicking,” the ghost stated. “I was dying and had no way to stop it. I feared that Anakin would be forgotten or pushed to the side. I knew you would take care of him if I asked, but I even failed there in making you promise me that you would train him. I should have known you wouldn't have abandoned him, that you would have ensured he would get that training. Instead, I let fear control my last moment with you. I let it clear my mind of what was important, of what I should have said.”

“That I am proud of you, my dear padawan. Even if I had not been the best master to you, I am proud of what you have become.”

Those words...how long had Obi-Wan wanted to hear those words? He bowed his head, trying to hold in his tears. Proud. His master was proud of him. Had wanted to say those words to him. He sucked in a sharp breath and grit his teeth. He would not lose himself over this. He was a strong, Jedi master. He would-

“Do not hold them back, Obi-Wan.” The words came softly and the Jedi master could almost _feel_ his master's hands on his shoulders. “You must let them out.”

Obi-Wan burst. The first sob was loud, ugly, and so terribly relieving that he could not stop the flood that followed after it. He cried. Cried and cried and let the tears fall as he curled together. His drew his legs up and wrapped his arms around them as he sobbed into his knees. Within an instant, he was surrounded. Surrounded by the aura and the Force signature that was his master. He knew it far too well to try and second guess that it was anything else. His sobs increased, but the comfort of his master's presence was enough.

He wasn't alone.

It felt like hours had passed when he was finally able to breathe normally, no more hitches of breath from his overflowing tears. He felt...so much lighter than he could remember feeling. It helped that Qui-Gon's presence hadn't faded during the entire time. It was still there, strong and comforting, giving him what he'd been craving for who knows how long. Obi-Wan cared deeply for Anakin, yes, but his padawan had never been able to comfort him like this. His master had always been the one to calm him when things were at their worst. He'd missed this more than he'd realized.

“Thank you, master,” Obi-Wan murmured as he lifted his head. The ghost had moved to sit next to him, one arm 'resting' on his shoulders.

“For what?” Qui-Gon asked, his soft voice helping his old padawan relax further. “I believe I should have more of your scorn than thanks.”

“Perhaps,” the Jedi master agreed, “but I have never hated you. Not once.”

“For that, I am grateful, for it is probably more than I deserve,” his master's voice rumbled. “You need to rest now, Obi-Wan. You have let out a lot of your emotions today and your body needs to recover.”

The thought made Obi-Wan a bit sad. “I...I'd like to spend more time with you instead.”

Qui-Gon chuckled, the sound so light it made the Jedi master's heart flutter. “I'm not going anywhere, padawan. I may not always be visible to your eyes, but my voice can reach you always. I still have many things I wish to atone for where you are concerned. Perhaps even teach you some of what I have learned.”

With a small snort, the former apprentice smirked. “I'm stuck with you, am I?”

The answering smile was gratifying to see. “Yes. I shall be a constant presence in your mind until you push me out.”

The Jedi master raised a brow. “Until? Your sound so sure that it's going to happen.”

A chuckle from the ghost answered him. “You will want to at some point, I'm sure.”

Obi-Wan let out a breathy laugh. “I can see it now, the looks I'll get when I'm caught arguing with myself.”

That made Qui-Gon laugh as well. “Yes, you'll be going in for weekly head checks, by order of the council. Now come. It's time for sleep.”

“Yes master,” Obi-Wan replied with a smirk as he got to his feet. He was tired, he could definitely feel that. Even as he stretched, he could feel parts of his mind shutting down. It was evening and the windows of his room were shaded from busy lights of Coruscant, only making him more sleepy. He hadn't felt this drained in years, though this kind of drained was a good thing. He wouldn't say this meeting had fixed everything. Far from it, actually, but it was a start and the amount of healing from the release had been eye opening.

Once settled on his bed, Obi-Wan found it a little strange to have his master's ghost in the room with him. Calling him a ghost was weird, but he didn't have any other description for it. When Qui-Gon moved to sit on the bed, he sat down at the foot of it, folding his arms in his cloak. It was a familiar spot for Obi-Wan to see his master. In his first couple years as a padawan, he'd had trouble sleeping, nightmares of loss and battles invading his dreams. Qui-Gon would join him at his bed, speak softly to him and teach him how the Force could help him sleep.

His master wouldn't leave until he was deeply asleep.

“I don't believe there will be any nightmares tonight,” Obi-Wan said with a little grin.

“Perhaps,” Qui-Gon nodded, “but I think I'll stay visible, just in case.”

“Hm.” Despite how strange it felt to know his master was watching, Obi-Wan sank down into his bed, closing his eyes with a sigh. He suddenly realized how tired he really was. “It...really was nice to see you again, master.”

“Go to sleep, padawan. We will have many opportunities to talk later.”

Qui-Gon watched as a small smirk crossed his padawan's face before it was easing into that of slumber. He didn't need to keep a visible shape as he watched as the other man fell asleep, his feet buried under the covers that were pushed to the end of the bed. With a small bemused grin, the ghost used the Force to raised that blanket up and over his former apprentice's body. Some things would never change. Letting his image slowly fade, Qui-Gon stared down at the figure of the sleeping Jedi and wished, not for the last time, that he could physically be there to help him.

“Sleep well, my padawan, for there are many lessons ahead.”


	12. What You Find

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know of a few who were anticipating this next chapter, so I hope I can deliver to the expectations. haha This chapter was fun to write and I did follow closely with the episode that it's connected to. I just hope it makes sense! Happy reading everyone!

Rex sat at the controls of the ship they'd taken from Coruscant, slowly bring them out of hyperspace. They'd left shortly after they'd gotten what gear together they thought they'd need and nearly a day later, they were at their destination. Anaxes was a base for the Republic, many of the ships of the Navy returning here for tune ups or repairs. New ships were also under construction, as well as a school to train future naval officers. It wasn't strictly a military planet, but it wouldn't exactly be seen as a normal place to visit for a pleasure trip.

As they were on break, Rex was trying to think of what he'd tell people should they ask why he and two others were here.

“Well, what next?” Jesse asked, sitting back in his seat.

“I contacted Commander Cody just before we left for hyperspace,” Rex answered. “He contacted a group known as Clone Force 99 and said that they'd be waiting for us when we arrived. They must have been close by.”

“Clone Force 99?” Jesse said with a small frown. “Never heard of them.”

“Neither have I,” the captain added, shaking his head. “But Cody says they're one of the best, that whatever we come up against, they'll be able to get us through.”

“They must do below the line ops then,” Jesse speculated, “stuff that stays under the radar or completely off of it.”

“We'll need that,” Rex sighed, “if we're going to try and figure out what's going on with Echo.”

The panel in front of Jesse started to blink, the clone looking forward to read it. “We have an incoming transmission, sir. Audio only.”

With a quiet breath, the captain nodded. “Put it through.”

There was a soft buzz before a voice, very much like their own, came over the comm. “Captain Rex, this is Sergeant Hunter, leader of Force 99.”

Rex gave Jesse a look, the other clone shrugging in response. “Sergeant Hunter. Did Cody tell you anything?”

The clone on the other end hummed. “No, sir, but he did say that this wasn't an official mission. That it would be considered off the grid so we need to keep it quiet. Wrecker wasn't too happy to hear it, but he's willing to comply.”

That was...perplexing. Jesse was staring at the panel in front of him with a raised brow, obviously just as confused as his captain. “We appreciate the help. Are you on the surface of Anaxes?”

“Yes. We'll send you our coordinates. We're not far from one of the bases.”

“Thank you,” Rex said, before nodding to Jesse to turn off the call. Moments later, they were receiving coordinates for a landing spot on the planet's surface.

“Wrecker, huh?” Jesse grinned. “And Hunter. Wonder what the other guys are named.”

“I'm sure we'll find out soon enough,” the captain said, punching in the coordinates and then turning on the ship's intercom. “We're entering Anaxes, Kix. Buckle up.”

Down on the surface, the three clones exited their ship without their helmets on, cautiously looking around them. There was a ship in front of them, one unlike anything they'd ever seen, the nose decal something that, had General Skywalker been with them, Rex was _sure_ would have made him furious. Jesse and Kix merely shared a look, probably thinking the same thing, before one of the doors to that ship was opening up. A single body came out, his armor completely black with red details. He was strapped from head to toe in all sorts of weaponry, unlike any clone they'd ever met.

“Captain Rex,” the figure said, taking off his helmet. “We've been waiting.”

“You must be Hunter,” Rex stated, though he was still taking in the face of the man before him. It was _not_ that of any clone he'd ever met.

“That's right,” Hunter replied, a small smirk on his face. “From your expression, I'm guessing Commander Cody didn't give you any info on us.”

“You're not a clone,” Jesse frowned, eyes narrowing. “You don't look anything like us!”

“I assure you that I am,” Hunter said. “I have a bar code on my wrist, just like the rest of you. Same goes for my men and they are just as different as I am.”

“But you look so different,” Kix stated.

“We've been genetically modified for specific purposes,” the sergeant replied.

Suddenly something clicked in Rex's head. “Clone Force 99... You got your name from 99.”

Hunter grinned. “We have another nickname that we attribute to him as well. We're called the Bad Batch by many of the commanders. Cody's the only one who'll treat us like other clones though.”

Rex paused before he gave a nod. “Then I will do the same.”

With a grin, the other man nodded. “We take what we can get, captain. Come in, I'll introduce you to the boys.”

The inside of the ship wasn't anything spectacular, but it was spacier than what Rex had expected. He didn't have to wonder why. Shortly after they stepped in, a massive man, easily 10 centimeters taller than any of them, came into view, a broad grin on his face. After he'd sat down, they were able to see two more of the team. One was their height and, if Rex wasn't mistaken, probably looked the closest to a regular clone. The second was taller, more slender, and his face was just as narrow.

“The big guy here is Wrecker,” Hunter stated, punching the large man in the shoulder. “You need something broken, he's the guy for it. Tech's in the glasses. He'll have any and all data connections that you need to break in, break out, or infect a system. Crosshair won't speak much, but he's the best shot in the army. You have a mark, he can hit it. My skill is heightened senses. I'll be a map for us if we can't use a holomap as well as a warning system is something is headed our way. Hopefully, we'll all be of some use to you.”

“I'm sure you will,” Rex nodded. “I'm Rex. Jesse is on my right. Kix, our medic, is on my left.”

“A medic?” Tech asked, his face straight. “Does this mission require one?”

“It might,” the captain answered. “And this isn’t a mission. Technically the three of us are on break, but new information has presented itself that needs immediate attention in the most delicate of ways. If any of you want out due to the fact that this could turn out to be a court martial for anyone involved, now's the time.”

“Fill us in, captain,” Hunter said. “We're all in.”

Explaining the situation went smoothly, the Bad Batch staying quiet as he explained. Once he was finished, he waited, sure they had things they wanted to ask.

“This algorithm could change the flow of the war if it falls fully into the Separatists hands,” Tech said, his eyes dancing in a way that made it look like he was processing several bits of information at once. “The source of the call led you here. Does that mean he's here, this Echo?”

“For all we know, this could be a trap,” Rex stated. “Voices can be manipulated. What I want to know first is how they got a hold of one of my encrypted lines, if it isn't him. I want to find the source and see what's there.”

“Have you got a location?” Hunter asked. “If not, Tech could narrow it down to one or two klicks.”

“Better than what I could have done,” Jesse shrugged. “Might as well as let him do it, Rex.”

The captain nodded his agreement, holding out a disk. “I'd appreciate it, Tech.”

With a wave of his fingers, Tech shook his head as he took the disk. “No problem, captain. I'll have an answer for you in five minutes.”

The group watched as the clone started typing away, Hunter turning to Rex with a smirk. “If this is all it takes, I think I'm going to be a little disappointed.”

Rex snorted, smirking in turn. “We're from the 501st, sergeant. It's _never_ this easy.”

Tech only took two minutes before he was turning away from his machine. “Got it. It's sitting on the other side of the planet.”

Jesse frowned. “As far away from our bases as you can get. I don't like the sound of that.”

“Nor do I,” Rex stated. “But what we're looking for is there. Let's move out.”

Hunter insisted that they take their ship. It was a quiet flight around to the other side of Anaxes, Rex contemplating what might happen. If it wasn't Echo, then it was easy. Destroy whatever devices had his encrypted lines and any possible data they might have on his algorithms. If it was Echo...well, that's where it got hard. He had no doubt of Echo's loyalty to the Republic. If Echo was being held by the Separatists, then they'd save him and get him back onto their side of the war, no matter how long it took. But if Echo had defected to the other side... Somehow, Rex just couldn't see that.

They landed Bad Batch's ship just outside of the two klick radius that Tech had narrowed it down to, disembarking quietly. Wrecker was moaning a little about how this mission was too quiet, but a quick, sharp comment from Crosshair made him stop, though he was probably pouting behind his helmet. As they narrowed in on where Hunter was leading them (seriously, as soon as they'd landed, he'd figured out in no time where they were supposed to go), a transmitting station came into view. It was not a Republic one.

Jesse growled in his helmet. “Damn clankers! How'd they sneak past us and set up a tower here?!”

Rex was frowning. “That's what I'd like to know... They would have be avoid the planetary scans the shipyards do.”

Tech shook his head. “There are many ways for them to do that. For instance-”

With a wave of his hand, Hunter cut him off. “Not now, Tech. Crosshair, go get us a higher up look. See how heavily armed the place is.”

The sniper merely nodded before he was sneaking away, deadly silent in his steps. It was almost as if he wasn't there if you were just listening. Tech pulled out a machine and started to type away at it, no doubt trying to do the same from where they were. Rex turned his attention back to the communications tower before them. Seriously, how had the Republic not noticed such a large location? Even if they had a way to block a scanner, there was no way one of the visual planetary sweeps would miss that.

Someone had to be working for the Separatists from the inside. He did not like that thought.

“We've got about forty droids that I can see.” Crosshair's voice came over their comms, a little raspy and soft. “Those are just the ones on the outside.”

“There are about twenty more inside,” Tech added, “if my scans are showing things correctly. It's easily something we can handle and I doubt there are reinforcements nearby. It would be far too easy for them to be spotted that way.”

“So we can charge in, right?” Wrecker asked, his voice undeniably excited.

“What are your orders, captain?” Hunter turned his attention to Rex. “It's your op.”

Rex frowned to himself. “Can't exactly keep quiet and expect the clankers to let us in. Alright, let's bust them up, but do not do more damage than necessary. We need to keep this quiet.”

Wrecker let out a small whoop and charged forward without an official order. Hunter let out a soft sigh behind his mask before he was following. Rex, Jesse, Tech, and Kix followed after, providing back up while shots from a nearby ledge were knocking out any droids that were trying to call for help, wherever it might come from. The droids were, as expected, startled, but that didn't mean they put up a fight. Still, the element of surprise gave the clones exactly what they needed and the droids were falling faster than Rex would have expected.

The outside of the tower was cleared quickly and the droids from inside opened the doors to try and help their comrades. Tech and Rex broke through them, leaving the rest of the clones to clean up the rest while they made it to the center of the tower. Once inside, they destroyed the command droids inside before Tech made his way straight to the main computer. His little device seemed to do everything. In less than ten seconds, he'd broken past all the securities and was asking for the encrypted line codes, to see if he could locate them in the system.

In less than five minutes the tower was free of droids and Jesse let out a low whistle as he joined his captain and Tech in the center. “Well, I can see why Commander Cody likes you guys. You work fast!”

Hunter merely nodded. “Extra help goes a long way, too.”

Rex smiled behind his helmet before he slipped it off of his head. “Have you got anything for me, Tech?”

When the man didn't immediately answer his question, Rex thought about asking again, only to have the sergeant place a hand on his shoulder and shake his head. “He gets lost in what he does, sir. Can't hear you unless you shout at him.”

“Found it,” Tech stated suddenly. “The call didn't originate from here, captain. It looks like this station was used as a relay from another spot. The message is also more complete than the recording you gave me. Shall I play it?”

“Go ahead,” Rex nodded, steeling himself for what he was about to hear. Kix and Jesse were visibly tensing as well. There was a small bit of white noise before the message started playing, much clearer than the one Rex had received.

“ _...need your help. We need....save the Republic from...the army is in danger. The Separatists are trying...they'll kill us all... can't keep my focus...this is E...CT-1409...CT-1409...CT-1409...”_

The line fell silent after that, leaving the group silent. Rex closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. “Any signs that the message was tampered with? Any...mechanical sounds?”

Tech shook his head. “No sir. There's no droid out there than can inflect their speech like that. And as far as I know, the Separatists haven't been able to master a voice emulator and those are for top secret missions here in the Republic. I believe it's legitimate.”

Kix took off his helmet, Jesse doing the same. “That means Echo's alive... Rex, we need to-”

“I know, Kix,” Rex sighed, leaning forward onto one of the panels in front of him. “I know.”

“Tech, can you trace where that call was made from?” Jesse asked, when it was clear that his captain was battling something in his head.

“Already did,” Tech said, grabbing his portable device. “It came from Skako Minor. I've downloaded the information of it's location, so we should be able to find it again if we need to.”

With a heavy exhale, Rex stood up and looked at the clones around him. “From here on out, it's completely a volunteer effort if you want to go on. Skako Minor is a part of the Techno Union who, though they claim to be neutral, has far too many dealings with the Separatists. We're going into territory that could easily get us all booted out of the army if we make a wrong move. At the very least.”

Kix and Jesse shared a look, before the medic turned back to their captain. “We're with you, Rex. All the way. Echo needs our help and we're going to get him back.”

Hunter looked at his guys, who nodded at him, before he took of his helmet and looked at Rex. “Cody sent us in for a reason, captain. We're the best at keeping something like this under the radar. We'll get your friend back and the higher ups won't be any wiser.”

Jesse smirked. “Well, at least until we tell them that Echo's _not_ dead.”

“Time to leave, boys,” Crosshair's voice came over the comms. “Somehow the droids got out a distress call. There's a small force on it's way to the tower.”

“How fast?” Hunter asked, slipping on his helmet again.

“We're going to need the speeder in the back to get away unseen.”

The clones left the tower, removing all traces of their break in except for the destroyed droids laying around. Crosshair was waiting for them in the speeder, driving away once he was sure everyone was in. Just as they went over the hill, Rex could see the droids that were closing in on the tower, before he turned his thoughts inward. Alive. Echo really was alive. And he'd been coherent enough at one point to send out a signal to him. But the message was still choppy. What had he learned that would put the Republic in danger?

There was only one way to find out. They needed to find Echo.


End file.
